New York, New York
by bsloths
Summary: A trip to see her father sounds perfect to Casey, until she is forced to bring along the one person she'd rather leave behind. Multichapter. Dasey.
1. Start Spreading the News

Here's my first chapter fic! I'm kind of excited to finally be writing it, in case you couldn't tell! So any feedback is really appreciated - Reviews are love.

For future reference, I go to New York City about twice a year, as a tourist, and I'm trying to be as accurate as possible in regard to locations and descriptions of the places Derek and Casey visit. I hope that if you've never been, you plan a trip someday- it really is a fantastic city. And if you have, you'll recognize some of the places I mention.

But enough out of me, and on with the story!

--Brandi

Disclaimer: I own everything, except what I don't.

**Chapter 1: Start Spreading the News…**

"Mom, pleeeeeeeease. You _can't_ make me take Derek."

Casey was whining, and she hated herself for it. But at this point she was past caring. Her mother was being downright cruel.

"Case, we talked about this. Dennis invited him to go to a hockey game, and your father's been wanting to spend a weekend with you and Liz for a while now. If Derek goes, you won't have to fly alone, and I definitely don't want you walking around New York City alone."

Nora was exasperated. Her daughter had been pleading with her for the better part of an hour, and it was getting old.

Casey stomped her foot. "Mo-om, Lizzie can't even come because of her soccer playoffs. Can't we pick a weekend when we can both go?"

Lizzie entered the kitchen where Nora and Casey had been arguing, and began to protest. "Casey, I told you, I want to go when I can spend a weekend alone with Dad. You'll have him to yourself this weekend, and I'll get to visit with him another time," she explained patiently, knowing Casey was reaching her boiling point and would lash out at _her_ at any moment.

Casey pouted, giving her sister a Look. She stomped out of the kitchen, yelling behind her, "I'll be in my room if anyone has any _good_ news for me!"

Casey was still stomping as she reached her room. She knew Derek was next door, and she was tempted to go in and try to talk him out of going, but she knew it was futile. He had been so excited when Dennis had called and invited Derek, Casey, and Lizzie to New York for a long weekend. Lizzie realized she had to stay home, but Nora and George had insisted that the two teens still go. Casey flopped onto her bed, half-annoyed, half-excited that she'd soon be seeing her dad again, albeit with Derek in tow.

_Earlier that day…_

"It'll be a nice bonding experience," Nora reasoned. That earned snorts of derision from both Casey and Derek.

George tried, "You'll get to see lots of sights. Dennis even said he'd get you Broadway tickets." Casey softened a little at this, but Derek just rolled his eyes.

After much discussion—which consisted of George and Nora retreating to the basement to talk it out while the teens sat on the couch in tense silence—they laid down the law.

George spoke first. "Look, you two, you are not going to pass up this opportunity. Casey, you love seeing your dad, and Derek, you've been dying for Dennis to invite you to a Rangers game. He was nice enough to do so, and you're going to turn him down, just because you can't stand to spend a couple of hours alone with Casey? And Casey, I can't believe you'd hurt your dad's feelings like that, just because you don't want to go if Derek does."

He finished his guilt trip, and turned his attention to Nora, who gave him an encouraging smile. Meanwhile, Derek and Casey were sharing a long look, each seeming to say, "I'll behave if you will." Finally, Derek heaved a sigh, stood up, and threw up his hands in defeat.

"Fine, Dad. You're right. I'm dying to see the Rangers."

Casey nodded in agreement. "And I can't wait to see my dad."

Nora was delighted. "Great, it's settled then. You have a four day weekend coming up. I'll book your flight for Wednesday night, and you can come home Sunday morning."

Something occurred to Casey suddenly, and she was almost afraid to ask, but she did anyway. "Wait…is Dad working Thursday and Friday?"

Nora eyed her guiltily. "Well, yes, but there is plenty to do out in the city. You two will have so much fun! There's Central Park, shopping on Fifth Avenue, museums…"

As Nora kept chattering on, Casey once again exchanged pained glances with her stepbrother. They weren't very happy about this, but it was only three full days…how bad could it possibly be?


	2. I'm Leaving Today

I'm laboring under the assumption Casey's never been to see her dad before; he's only come to visit her. I don't think they make it clear in canon.

Please review, it makes me very happy!

--Brandi

Disclaimer: I expressly disclaim any representation or warranty, express or implied, including, without limitation, any implied or express warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or conformity with models or samples. I agree to indemnify and hold Life with Derek harmless from and against any and all damage, loss, cost, expense or liability relating to, arising from or as a result of my use of Life with Derek.

**Chapter 2: I'm Leaving Today…**

"Damn, Casey, what could you possibly have packed? I'm sure your dad has his own toaster," Derek groaned as he lugged their suitcases out to the car.

"Language, Derek," Nora chided as she followed behind him, handing Casey the necessary paperwork: their tickets, passports, and her dad's address and phone number in case they got lost.

He grunted, lifting the bags into the trunk, and turned around to smirk at Casey, teasing, "You want me to open the door for you, too, your highness?"

Casey gave him a dirty look. "I am perfectly capable of opening my own door, thank you very much," she huffed, climbing into the car.

"Ooh, Feminist Casey rears her ugly head. I guess blasting my Eminem CD in the car is out," Derek joked. When he realized no one was paying any attention to him anymore, he climbed into the car after Casey, and waved goodbye to Nora, and the other kids, who had joined her outside.

Nora was tearing up, but to her credit was trying very hard not to show it. "Bye, Casey, bye Derek, we'll miss you!" She was failing miserably at holding back the tears, and they began to drip down her cheeks. Casey blew her mom a kiss, waved at Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti, and turned away, obviously tearing up herself.

Derek slid as far away from her as possible in the backseat, and waved to his family one last time.

As George pulled out of the driveway, Derek shoved Casey's arm. "Quit crying, we're only going to be gone a few days."

She sniffled. "I know, but I have to spend those few days…with…you," she choked out, taking out a tissue and blowing her nose.

George eyed her in the rearview mirror. "Aw, Casey, don't cry. Derek will be nice to you, I promise." His eyes darted to Derek in the mirror, who was smirking. "Won't you, Derek? Or I may just have to revoke your Prince privileges for a month if I hear of any trouble."

"Dad! That's _my_ car. You can't take it away!" Derek was almost on the verge of panic, that is, if he was the panicking kind.

George laughed harshly. "I can, and I would. So be nice to your sister."

"Step!" both Derek and Casey corrected automatically. They looked at each other in surprise at their "jinx" moment.

Casey had stopped crying by this point and regained her composure. She elbowed Derek in the shoulder, adding to George's threat, "Yeah, _Der_, I have the power here. One word of wrongdoing and it's your head."

She made a slashing motion across her neck, which elicited another smirk from Derek. He flipped her off, quickly, so George didn't see it. She gasped in mock horror and shoved him again.

George glanced back at the mirror. "What's going on back there? It got awfully quiet."

Derek looked out the window with a sigh. "Oh, nothing. It's just going to be a loooong weekend, that's all."

Once they arrived at JFK International Airport, they had calmed down considerably, due to the fact that they hadn't seen each other in hours. Nora had waited until the last minute to get tickets, which meant they were sitting three rows apart. For once, her absent-mindedness had worked in their favor.

"That was the worst flight in the history of flights," Derek complained, as they waited for their bags to arrive.

"You think _you _had a bad flight?" Casey challenged. "I almost would have had a better time sitting next to _you_." She shuddered at the thought. "The guy next to me kept sneezing. I could feel the germs attaching themselves to me. It was beyond gross."

"Uh, hello, I was in the middle of a daycare center. There was a cranky four-year-old and his mom next to me, a crying baby in front of me, and a kid in the seat behind me who kept reaching over and hitting me in the head with one of those blow-up hammers."

Casey laughed, "It could have been worse, Derek. It could have been a real hammer."

Derek didn't think this was very funny, but he didn't have time to respond, because he saw his bag coming around on the conveyor belt. He grabbed it and handed it off to Casey so he could look for hers.

Hers came around a few seconds later, and they exited the baggage claim, excited to see the city despite their circumstances.

Dennis was waiting for them in the lobby of his building. They had endured a long taxi ride from the airport, but at least they had arrived at night, which meant great views of Manhattan's lights.

"So what do you think of my city?" he joked, spreading his arms wide like a game show host.

Casey and Derek were exhausted, so all they could manage were weak smiles. A long, annoying flight, coupled with a long, expensive taxi ride, did not happy campers make.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to meet you. Work ran late. Oh, how much was the fare? I promised your mother I'd pay for everything." Dennis reached into his pocket as Casey told him the price. This alleviated their bad moods a bit, but they were still ready for a good night's sleep.

Dennis sensed their fatigue and shook his head good-naturedly. "Okay, up to bed. I'll play tour guide tomorrow after work. You guys can explore on your own for a bit; you can look up places to go on my computer in the morning if you need to. I get done at the firm around five, so we can head out for dinner when I get home. The hockey game starts at seven, so that should give us plenty of time to find a place to eat."

He was still rambling as they made their way up to his floor. As they entered the apartment, Casey and Derek gazed around in awe. It was _huge_.

"This place is gorgeous, Dad," Casey breathed, taking in the plush sofas, kitchen complete with breakfast nook, and modern art covering the walls. Derek zeroed right in on the giant plasma screen and high-tech entertainment center.

Dennis led them down the hall to the bedrooms, and swung open the first door on the right.

"Here's where you'll be staying," he said proudly.

Casey looked in shock at the room, with its butterfly décor, and twin beds.

Derek glanced around nervously. "Both…both of us?" he questioned in alarm.

Dennis shrugged, unmoved. "Well, yeah. I thought your mother told you it's only a two-bedroom apartment. I had this room made up for when Casey and Lizzie come to stay. Do you like it, Case?"

When Casey stood there open-mouthed, and without an answer, he tried again. "Derek?"

Derek couldn't keep the words from spilling out of his mouth, "Oh, _hell_ no."


	3. No Other Town Has the Empire State

So a lot of people liked the sharing the bedroom thing- but unfortunately that's not going to happen…yet. Sorry, guys, Derek's just not ready to do that.

Reviews make me happy – tell me your thoughts. (And thank you for all the reviews I've gotten so far!)

--Brandi

Disclaimer: When I went to the Rainforest Café last month I threw a coin at the alligator in the pond and wished for Life with Derek. You would think I'd have gotten the memo that I own it by now. Guess the alligator was a bum rap.

**Chapter 3: No Other Town Has the Empire State…**

"There is no way I'm sharing a room with _her_," Derek spat out more angrily than he had intended.

Dennis was taken aback. "You could sleep on the sofa, but it's not very comfortable. I thought you'd want your own bed."

Derek tried his best to swallow his anger and regain some composure. "Look, Dennis, you know I appreciate that you're letting me stay with you. But I'd much rather take the couch."

Dennis could see that he was not going to back down on this, and he looked to his daughter, who was just as stone-faced.

"He's sleeping on the couch," she confirmed.

Dennis chuckled and threw up his hands. "Fine, fine, I'll grab some blankets from the closet."

He set up the makeshift bed for Derek and bid them both good night.

Derek lay awake for quite some time after Casey and Dennis had gone to bed, tossing and turning. Dennis had been right, the couch was terribly uncomfortable. He almost wanted to go into the bedroom and use Lizzie's bed. But it drove him nuts to know that she was in the room next door at home; being a few feet away from her here would be torture.

He'd probably end up sleepwalking and doing something he'd regret. He'd want to lie next to her and run his fingers through her hair, or do any number of things he shouldn't be thinking about doing to his stepsister.

So he chose to tough it out on the couch.

The next morning, Casey rose early and put on a pot of coffee. The smell drifted into the living room, effectively jolting Derek out of his restless sleep. He groggily slipped off the sofa and entered the kitchen.

She glanced at her watch as he came in, surprised. "I thought you would self-destruct if you woke up before seven. I'm impressed," she teased him, handing him a cup of coffee.

He grunted at her, taking the cup and sipping it slowly. As he drank, Dennis came in, kissed Casey, said hello to Derek, filled a thermos with coffee, and with that, was off to work.

Casey shook her head in annoyance. "I forgot he was such a workaholic," she sighed.

Derek grunted again, sympathetically, if that was possible. He finished his drink and finally spoke.

"So, I think we should go to the Empire State Building today. It's nice and clear out, so we'll have a good view. And it opens at eight, so we should be able to beat the lines."

Casey almost dropped her coffee in surprise. "You actually read that guidebook I gave you?"

"I might have flipped through it. I also want to check out Central Park, and the zoo, and tomorrow we can do Times Square." He had figured his informed attitude would throw her off, and it did.

It took her all of two seconds to get really flustered. "Wait, you've thought this through, haven't you? I can't believe you planned out our vacation. I guess that's good though, we don't have to waste time planning, I mean, I want to see everything we can…"

Derek smirked at her as she rambled on, clearly enjoying himself. "Chills, Space Case. I know _you're_ the super keener and all, but I was bored on the plane."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to go get ready. You better finesse our plans, because after you're ready to go, I'm not waiting around this apartment a second longer." She placed her mug in the sink and headed towards the bathroom, humming "New York, New York" as she went.

Derek smiled involuntarily at her retreating form and began rooting around in his bag, looking for his map.

A little while later, they were finally beginning their New York adventure.

"We are _so_ lost," Casey whined, holding the map up so she could see it better.

"Give me that, we're going to get mugged," Derek snapped, practically ripping the map from her hands. He leaned nonchalantly against a wall and folded the map into smaller sections so it didn't look like a map; there was nothing worse than carrying around something that screamed, "We're tourists!"

They had walked to a diner two blocks from her dad's apartment for breakfast, and now they were trying to locate the Empire State Building.

"It's a huge skyscraper," Casey had insisted. "We'll see it." She seemed to have forgotten that New York was _full _of huge skyscrapers.

Derek muttered to himself, and Casey peered over the top of the map, trying to be helpful. She didn't want to break Derek's concentration, though, so she remained silent.

After a few moments, Derek folded up the map and put it in his pocket, looking confident.

"Okay, little miss pessimist, we're not lost anymore. We were walking downtown, and we needed to go uptown. It's only a few blocks this way," he told her, gesturing towards the way they had come.

"_You_ were the one who said we were going the right direction!" she accused.

"Yeah, because _you_ told me the diner was in the same direction as the Empire State Building!" he fired back.

"And _you_ listened to me! You're the one with the map!"

"I wasn't looking at the map because _you_ insisted we didn't need it. Thanks."

"You think I wanted this to happen?" Casey exhaled loudly in exasperation.

"Can we just go, already?" she snapped, turning from him and walking briskly away.

"Case, that's still the wrong way. Turn around," Derek smirked.

"I knew that," Casey retorted unconvincingly, and stomped off in the right direction.

He followed behind her, listening to her muttering incoherently under her breath. Derek was exhausted already, and it was only 9:30. Why had he wanted to go on this trip with Casey, again?

Oh yeah, Dennis was treating him to a Rangers game. _Just _try _to have a good time with her, or this is going to be a really long day_, he told himself.

They finally made it to their destination, and endured a semi-long line for tickets. By the time they got into the elevator, both Derek and Casey were fed up with this sight-seeing stuff.

As they reached the observation deck on the 86th floor, Casey pushed ahead of the throng of people, in order to put as much distance as possible between herself and Derek. She was just not in the mood for him to pull some stupid trick like pretending to push her over the edge.

Casey headed to the railing and looked out over the city. She suddenly forgot her annoyance, instead gazing in awe at the majestic view.

The cars looked like ants, and the buildings surrounding her seemed like dollhouses. The city was so peaceful from up here; it was breathtaking. She couldn't hear any of the honking of horns or obscenities yelled by angry drivers. She couldn't smell that distinctly New York smell of garbage and stale subway air wafting from the grates. The smaller skyscrapers were spread in front of her, their windows glistening in the sunlight.

Casey felt Derek come up behind her, placing his hand next to hers on the glass separating them from the city below.

"Wow," was all he said, and Casey nodded her head in agreement. He moved to stand next to her; they were both staring out at the city, neither saying a word for quite some time. Casey was beginning to get distracted by his proximity—his hand was dangerously close to hers, and their shoulders were touching.

Shaking herself out of her trancelike state, she suggested they go look out over a different part of the city.

Derek had been seconds away from putting his arm around her and resting his head against hers, when her suggestion broke the spell. "What? Oh, yeah, let's go," he answered hastily, and they walked around to another lookout spot. Their annoyance at each other seemed to wash away as they each silently marveled at the view.

_I'm up here to look at the city, and even though she drives me crazy, all I want to do is stare at her_, Derek thought wryly.


	4. These Vagabond Shoes

Nothing to say except…enjoy! And review!

--Brandi

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Annie and Joshua. It's better than nothing, right?

**Chapter 4: These Vagabond Shoes are Longing to Stray…**

Casey and Derek left the Empire State Building and headed up 5th Avenue to Central Park. It was a long walk, and they took their time, pointing out various stores or landmarks on the way. She was dying to shop at places like Saks and Tiffany's, but knew she'd better wait. Her dad had said they'd shop there on Saturday; he needed a new suit anyway.

Casey caught Derek smiling to himself a few times, obviously having a better time than he let on.

They reached the park and stared in awe. The mass of green creating an oasis amid the gray and brown of the city was breathtaking, and Casey turned to Derek with a huge smile.

"Beautiful, huh?" she asked.

What Derek wanted to say was, 'Yes, you are,' but what he actually said was, "Yes, it's great. What are we waiting for?"

And they raced each other onto the green, nearly colliding with a jogger as they hit the footpath.

All kinds of people were out and about on such a beautiful day, some jogging, some relaxing on benches, some playing a game of tag or catch. Casey and Derek were getting hungry, so they made their way over to a vendor selling roasted almonds and cashews.

After buying a couple of bags, they settled themselves on the grass by the pond, watching ducks glide through the water.

Casey couldn't help but think that this was sort of romantic, but before she could dwell on any more of those kinds of thoughts, a little boy came zooming at them from out of nowhere. He was chasing a butterfly, and ran smack into Derek, who toppled over.

As the boy jumped up and continued chasing his quarry, they heard a girl yell, "Stop him! Please!"

Derek located the speaker and saw a girl running towards them, carrying a diaper bag and collapsible stroller, looking breathless.

Casey jumped up and took off after the boy with Derek, but he was quicker, tackling the boy to the ground just as he was about to grab the fluttering insect.

His face contorted into that toddler I'm-about-to-have-a-tantrum look, and Derek quickly distracted him by pointing out the colors on his shirt.

"Hey, buddy, look, what is that? Is that red?" he asked playfully as the boy calmed and looked where Derek's hand was pointing.

He giggled as Derek poked him lightly again, saying, "How about this one? Is that yellow?"

The boy either didn't know his colors or didn't want to talk, for he continued to giggle.

The girls had caught up to them by this point, and the girl who had yelled before introduced herself.

"Thank you so much for grabbing him! I'm Annie, and this is Joshua. I'm babysitting for a woman who lives in my building," she told them apologetically.

Casey smiled and extended her hand. "Casey, and this is my stepbrother Derek."

Derek nodded hello, and stood up, still keeping a firm grip on Joshua. The three of them managed to open the stroller and get him buckled into it. Annie fished around the diaper bag for something to keep him busy, and settled on a stuffed dog.

"Here you go, buddy, have fun," she told Joshua, before turning her attention back to Casey and Derek. "Really, I can't thank you enough. He's a pistol, this one." She grinned, and Derek couldn't help but notice how pretty she was when she smiled. Casey noticed this too, and groaned inwardly. _Here it comes_, she thought. _Derek's going to hit on her_.

And she was right.

"So, Annie, want to come to the Zoo with us? I bet you'd make a really good tour guide." He winked at her, and Annie blushed. Casey just rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure Annie has better things to do then hang around with a couple of tourists," Casey said pointedly to Derek, but he ignored her.

"Bring Joshua, of course. I could help you watch him. I love kids," Derek went on, as though Casey hadn't spoken.

Annie's eyes lit up. "I'd love to come! I don't know if you'd call me a tour guide, but I've been there quite a few times." And she fluttered her eyelashes.

Casey could not believe this. They were in town for a day and Derek had picked up a girl already. Never mind that she and Joshua were there—they may as well have been part of the shrubbery for all those two cared.

Annie and Derek continued to chatter away as they headed towards the zoo, and Casey remained silent and annoyed. Not that either of them noticed this. Annie didn't even notice when Joshua dropped the dog; Casey bent to pick it up and handed it back to the boy all while they were still walking and talking. At least Annie hadn't asked Casey to hold the stroller.

Yet.

As they entered the zoo, Annie asked Casey, "Would you mind keeping an eye on Joshua for a minute? I want to show Derek the penguins."

Casey tried to keep her face emotionless, but she had to grit her teeth as she told Annie she'd love to. Because really, what could she say? 'No, watch your own damn kid'? Not likely.

Casey ended up wandering around the zoo pushing Joshua in the stroller, pointing out the different animals to him and stopping every so often to pick up that darn dog again.

The zoo wasn't all that big, and Casey had seen everything she'd wanted to see in about an hour; besides, she was getting hungry for lunch. Sadly, Derek and Annie were nowhere to be found.

"Want to go find Derek and Annie, Joshua?" Casey asked him, and Joshua answered by chucking the dog out of the stroller. "Guess that's a yes," Casey sighed, picking up the stupid dog and putting it on top of the stroller. She checked to see if it bothered Joshua to lose his toy, but he was happily humming to himself. Casey breathed a sigh of relief. Now to find her stepbrother.

She circled the zoo again, wondering where the heck they could be. The Delacorte Clock began to chime the hour, and Casey heard Joshua clap his hands in glee and cry, "Music!"

Casey watched the animal statues parade in a circle around the clock, announcing that it was way past her lunch time.

Suddenly what was underneath the clock caught Casey's eye. Huddled in the archway under the clock platform were Derek and Annie, attached at the lips.

She grabbed Joshua's stroller and rolled it roughly over to them, announcing her presence by squirting the side of Derek's face with Joshua's water bottle. He and Annie broke apart, and he wiped his cheek angrily.

"What the hell is your damage, Case?"

"Don't 'Case' me. You know perfectly well why I'm angry. Are you that stupid, Derek?"

Annie looked guilty. "I'm sorry, Casey, I shouldn't have left you like that."

"You're damn right you shouldn't have left me with _your_ responsibility. Let's go, Derek!" Giving Annie an icy look, she shoved the stroller at her; the rough motion made Joshua start to cry, which allowed Casey enough time to grab Derek's arm and haul him out of the zoo, eyes flashing.

"Chills, Casey, we were going to come find you—"

"Don't talk to me right now, Derek. We are getting a cab back to Dad's, and then I am going to get some lunch, while you think about what a horrible person you are."

"Yes, _Mom_," Derek fired back sarcastically, still being dragged through the park. "Lay off, will you?"

Casey gripped him even tighter. "Shut up."

For once, Derek listened, but only because she wouldn't have heard him say anything anyway; she was too busy attempting to hail a taxi.

Throwing up her arm and crying, "Taxi!" like she'd seen in the movies didn't seem to be working.

After several minutes, she gave up. "Guess we're walking," she told Derek, finally letting go of his arm.

Derek put two fingers in his mouth and let out an ear-piercing whistle, while giving a slight wave with his other hand. A taxi pulled over for them, and he smirked at an incredulous Casey.

They climbed in, and Casey gave the driver their address.

She folded her arms and turned away from Derek, who merely sighed and looked out the window.

"I didn't abandon you on purpose, you know," Derek spoke up. "We lost track of time."

"Derek, I spent over an hour at the zoo with a random toddler. Do you think that was fun for me?"

"No," he said quietly, and he seemed sorry, even though Casey knew he'd never say it. "Let's order a pizza for lunch when we get back to Dennis's, okay? I want to see if it's as good as back home."

Casey shrugged. "Sure."

They continued to stare out the window all the way back to the apartment, each sick of arguing, but not really willing to make amends, either.


	5. You Crowd, You Cramp, You're Still

This chapter is another short one—sorry about that, but I had to end it where I did.

See if you catch the Drake & Josh reference in this chapter!

And review, if you please.

--Brandi

Disclaimer: I know so little about hockey that I doubt the Rangers will mind if I borrow their name for a chapter. But I know a lot about LwD, so they might mind. Well, I'll just have to play dumb. What is the name of Marti's monkey? Uh…Charlie. Yeah, it's Charlie. See, I know nothing. Don't arrest me for borrowing LwD, please!

**Chapter 5: You Crowd, You Cramp, You're Still the Champ…**

By five o'clock, both Casey and Derek were ready to go to the hockey game, though one was quite a bit more pumped than the other, obviously.

Dennis arrived home about fifteen minutes later, and they headed out to dinner at a diner next door to his building, which Dennis swore had the best mashed potatoes in the world.

The dinner went surprisingly well, considering Casey and Derek's anger. Derek and Dennis talked mostly about the upcoming game, so Casey tuned them out, and then Dennis asked her about school, so she talked while Derek fiddled with his napkin and read the dessert menu. It could have been a lot more awkward for them than it was.

Dennis insisted that they take the subway to the game, though Derek was dying to ride in his convertible again. Casey was not too keen on the idea, but her dad said it was important to try it once, since it was such a big part of city life. She agreed, and they headed to the stop at 33rd and Park, which was only a few blocks from Dennis's apartment, and would take them right to Madison Square Garden.

As they entered the arena, Derek tried with all his might not to appear too eager, but he ended up acting like a little kid in a candy store, rushing around to look at everything he could. As Derek waited in the growing line for Rangers memorabilia, Casey stood back with her dad.

"So, what's going on with you and Derek?" he asked with concern.

Casey tensed. Did he know that she had begun to think about him in a non-stepbrotherly way? A way that made her want to fade into oblivion every time they touched, and yet at the same time, made her feel more alive than ever? _Stop it, Casey, you're being paranoid, _she told herself.

"Uh, what do you mean, Dad?"

"You two haven't said a word to each other all night. Did something happen today?"

"Well, we kind of had a fight, but it's nothing important," Casey answered, relaxing immediately. She didn't elaborate though; that would have involved talking about her jealousy towards Annie, and that wasn't a good thing to bring up. Sure, Derek had been a jerk to her, but that was typical. The fact that he abandoned her for a girl was what stung.

Dennis didn't have time to press the issue, because Derek returned with a jersey, a foam finger, a baseball cap, and a pennant. "I bought the _last_ foam finger, how cool is that?" he told Dennis, and went over to Casey, who glared at him.

He put the cap on Casey's head, smirking at her. "I know you don't know a hat trick from a home run, but you can still get in the spirit," he said, leading them to their seats.

Casey was floored. Derek had just bought her a present. It felt good; too good. She was still angry about earlier. But, she realized, this was another way for him to apologize, without saying the words. Suddenly her heart felt lighter, and she wanted be the best hockey fan she could be.

The Rangers won, 4-2, so the atmosphere in the stadium was understandably riotous at the end of the game. Everyone was hugging and jumping up and down. Dennis hugged Derek, Casey hugged Dennis, the portly blonde man to her right hugged her, and then she came face to face with Derek.

The din of the crowd seemed to be on mute as she held out her arms to him, waiting for her hug. _Please hug me; please let me know you don't hate me_, she begged silently.

No such luck. Derek merely grabbed both her hands, placing them over her head so he could give her a two-handed high-five.

He knew it was lame, but he just couldn't hug her. He could see the hurt flash through her eyes, but Derek just couldn't.

Dennis broke the spell as he ushered them towards the exit. "Come on, guys, we'd better beat the rush out of here," he told them, as they made their way outside.

On the train back, there were no seats, and most of the poles were taken up by commuters who had to stand. Casey and Derek were forced to share a pole, plastered together so that they were practically nose to nose.

Casey tried to look anywhere but directly at him, and when the train lurched, sending her sailing into him, their lips all but touched. She felt herself blushing, but luckily Derek hadn't noticed because he was too busy staring at the floor.

Dennis didn't say anything all the way up to his apartment; he didn't want to intrude on whatever was going on between his daughter and Derek. He just hoped they didn't spend their vacation fighting.

"I'm heading to bed—another early day tomorrow. I managed to snag you tickets to the eight o'clock show of _Rent_ for tomorrow night, but I won't be going. So we can have dinner together, but you'll also be on your own during the day."

Casey's eyes lit up. "_Rent_? Oh my gosh, that's supposed to be so good! Thanks, Dad!"

"Yeah, thanks, Dennis. And thank you for the game. It was great," Derek told him sincerely.

"You're welcome, you two. Good night."

Dennis headed to bed, and before Casey could do the same, Derek grabbed her arm. "Isn't _Rent_ that show where everybody has AIDS?" he asked bluntly, doubtful about how good this play could possibly be.

"That's real nice, Derek," Casey scoffed. "Go to sleep."

Derek turned to the couch, groaning. _This vacation just keeps getting better and better_, he thought sarcastically, before drifting off into another restless sleep.


	6. The Shimmer of Times Square

Times Square is my favorite place to go in NYC; you can go there every day and always see something new.

Oh, and Derek probably gets really OoC here- it's hard to tell sometimes. Eh, I warned ya. ;)

And please keep reviewing; I really appreciate all the feedback!!

--Brandi

Disclaimer: I really, really, really wish I owned all the stuff I mention in Times Square, though I do own M&M's on occasion. I don't own M&M's World, though, how cool would that be?!

**Chapter 6: The Shimmer of Times Square…**

It was another early morning for both of them, and they had a quick breakfast at home before heading out to the street.

"Let's not get lost again, shall we?" Casey told Derek as they consulted the map. "Times Square is big. We can't miss it."

"That's what you said about the Empire State Building, remember? Look where that got us," Derek retorted. "I don't want to fight with you today, alright? Let's just head back towards Central Park, and we'll get there."

Casey sighed. "I don't want to fight with you either."

"Good, then it's a truce," Derek told her as they headed through Midtown to find the right street. "We have to get to Broadway, I think."

Casey looked at the map again, nodding. "Yup, let's see. It's about two blocks over, and four blocks up."

"I don't think I can walk that far. Carry me, Case?" Derek joked, but all he got for his effort was a withering look.

They could feel the difference as soon as they reached the right street. Broadway was pulsing with activity, and the millions of lights and signs were a bit overwhelming.

"I've already seen about twelve stores I want to go into," Casey said with excitement, and Derek rolled his eyes, though it was obvious he was excited as well.

"Just point me towards the M&M's store, okay?" he told her.

"We're in Times Square and all you want to do is get candy? There's so much more to do! Look, there's the Virgin Megastore, Toys R Us, Bubba Gump Shrimp, Planet Hollywood…" she trailed off, and grinned at Derek. "And look at that, M&M World. Okay, we can go in for a second."

He slung an arm over her shoulder and said without thinking, "That's my girl." He turned red and clarified, "You know what I mean. Just an expression."

Casey was blushing too, but simply nodded and led the way into the candy store.

Half an hour and four bags later, Derek felt like he never wanted to see another piece of chocolate again.

"Oooh, look, the Hershey store is right across the street!" Casey teased, and Derek groaned.

"How the heck are we going to eat all this?"

"It is possible to ration it, silly. We're not gonna pull an Edwin and eat it all at once."

Derek grinned. "Ed'll love that. You made him into a catchphrase."

"Well, I _am_ pretty smart that way," Casey returned with a smile. "Come on, I want to have lunch at Planet Hollywood. We should go make a reservation."

"Okay, but then I want coffee. I see a Starbucks."

"You had coffee at the apartment!"

"But I want New York coffee."

"You do realize that Starbucks is not native to New York, right?"

"Casey, Casey, Casey. That's not the point."

Casey dragged him towards Planet Hollywood. "Fine, when we're done here, we'll get 'New York coffee.'"

"All I ask for is a little cooperation," Derek told her playfully.

They made their lunch reservation, and then spent the morning exploring Times Square, traveling back and forth between Seventh and Fifth Avenues, and then heading south towards 42nd Street.

As they approached the intersection and waited for the "Walk" signal, Casey began to sing, "In the heart of little old New York, you'll find a thoroughfare…"

"No!" Derek cried, covering his ears. "Anything but that song, _anything_!"

Casey ignored him and continued to sing, and as they crossed the street Derek actually joined in for the chorus.

"Come and meet those dancing feet," they harmonized, "On the avenue I'm taking you to, Forty-Second Street!"

Derek stopped and made "tsk, tsk" sounds at her, chuckling. "You're such a dork, Space Case."

"If I'm the dork, why did you join in?" Casey countered.

"Touché." Derek looked at her and they both started laughing, giddy with excitement that they were enjoying the city, enjoying shopping, and most importantly, were enjoying spending time with each other.

By the time their lunch reservation rolled around, Casey and Derek were exhausted. All that walking had made them hungry, and Casey had purchased quite a few things. Since Derek was holding all the M&M's bags, and she was holding her own items, they were both pretty weighted down.

They slumped into their booth at the restaurant, and Derek looked around at all the movie props that adorned the walls.

"Look, Case, there's the costumes from _Titanic_!" he pointed excitedly towards the glass case holding Jack and Rose's outfits.

Casey raised an eyebrow. "You told me that movie was a cheesy chick flick disguised as an action movie."

"Don't you know by now that I'm all talk?" he joked, looking around again. "Ooh, look at the ceiling. Is that an alien from _Alien_ up there?"

Casey joined him in looking and they remarked some more on all the movie memorabilia. They ordered lunch, but spent so much time talking through the meal that neither of them ate very much.

Casey felt like this had been a perfect day so far. Having fun with Derek, exploring the city, it was all so much to take in. But her happiness came to a screeching halt when Derek's phone chimed, signaling he had a text message.

He flipped open his phone, and said in surprise, "It's Annie."

"Annie?" _As in just-met-her-yesterday, irresponsible, couldn't-be-a-bigger-whore Annie?_ "You gave her your number?" Casey seethed.

"Well, yeah. But I never thought she'd use it. Listen, she said—"

"I don't care what she said," Casey cut him off. "Doesn't matter. It's not like you're ever going to see her again, _right_?"

"Actually," Derek began, "She wants to meet up tonight."

"No."

"No? What do you mean, 'no'?" Derek asked.

"I mean, you are not meeting up with her. I refuse to be a third wheel."

Derek felt like it was wishful thinking, but she actually sounded…jealous.

"What's the big deal, Casey? You can go to dinner with your dad, and I'll meet up with you before the play."

"Because." Casey was thinking quickly, trying to come up with a good reason for him not to see her, but so far, she wasn't succeeding. "It's just not right. We're going home on Sunday. I know you're the love 'em and leave 'em type, but—"

"Excuse me, what the hell does that mean? I am not, as you so eloquently put it, the 'love 'em and leave 'em type,' okay? When girls go out with me I make sure they know I'm not into commitment. And there will be no 'loving' involved. It's just dinner," Derek was feeling defensive, now, but he really didn't see any reason to. Casey was just messing with his head, right?

Casey snorted. "You know what _eloquent_ means? I'm impressed. And you know she wants more than dinner. The girl has no shame, she made out with you in a children's zoo."

Derek didn't have an answer to that. He had read the text, which definitely suggested more than dinner, and Casey hadn't. Was he that predictable?

Casey gathered her belongings and stood up to leave, throwing some money down on the table. "Here's my share of lunch. Wouldn't want you to have to pay for a girl twice in one day."

"Casey, wait," Derek tried, but she was already stomping off. He got up and quickly followed her, grabbing her bags from her hands and pushing her back to the table; she protested the whole way. "You are not leaving until we work this out. Now sit." He pulled out her chair and pushed her down into it, then returned to his own seat.

Sighing deeply, he eyed Casey, who was flushed with anger. _Damn it, did she have to get this way _now? he thought. She obviously had no idea how much her flared nostrils and red cheeks affected him. It took all his willpower to refrain from reaching across the table and pulling her in for a kiss.

"I'm waiting," Casey told him impatiently.

"Look, if it makes you that upset, I'll tell her no. What you said makes sense. We _are_ leaving in a couple days. But it hurts my feelings that you really think I'm that callous. You do know that most of my reputation is just a lot of talk, right?"

Casey relaxed a little, relieved he was willing to give up Annie for her. "You _are_ painted as quite the man-whore," she told him mischievously.

He shrugged. "Better that than being called scrawny."

"Scrappy," she corrected for him, finally smiling. "I'm sorry for flying off the handle. It's just…we're having so much fun, I don't want you to be counting the minutes until tonight, you know?"

Derek was taken aback. "You think that's what I'd be thinking about? That you're just filling in until the next girl comes along? Case, you mean more to me than that. I was a jerk yesterday, I'll admit it, but you have to know that I like spending time with you."

Casey's eyes were teary. "You…you do?"

He nodded, his face completely sincere. "As much as I didn't want to come on this trip with you, I'm really glad we're doing this together after all."

"Oh, Derek," she sniffled, and Derek realized the waterworks were threatening to overflow.

"Please don't cry. Oh, God, I can't take it when you cry. Stop, stop right now!" he cried, waving his hands in front of her face dramatically.

Casey wiped her eyes and looked at him with such emotion, he was afraid she would try to hug him again. But all she said was, "I'm glad you're here with me, too, Derek."

He smiled back at her, and they finished their lunch peacefully. Casey's perfect day was back on track.


	7. Don't Bring a Frown to Old Broadway

Thank you so much for all the reviews. There is nothing better than getting an email that says "review alert." Seriously, it makes me far too happy. As does the amazing table scene in Derek Un-Done. Goes right up there in my top three, the first being the stage grind, and the second being the hula hoop moment. So since I'm in such a good mood right now, I figure I'll post a chapter. I hope you like it! And now that I'm done telling you useless information about my favorite Dasey moments, let's get on with it, shall we:)

--Brandi

Disclaimer: Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight—I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. There, I wished for LwD. I'll let you know if it comes true. Except it won't now, because I just told you what I wished for. Crap.

**Chapter 7: Don't Bring a Frown to Old Broadway…**

After more shopping, which included the purchases of a stuffed purple M&M doll for Marti (they had to go back to M&M's World for this, of course, but neither of them minded that), a Hard Rock Café: New York t-shirt for Edwin, and a tote bag from the MTV Store for Emily (they had tried to get there in time for the TRL taping, but sadly missed it), Derek and Casey returned to the apartment to drop off their purchases.

"I didn't think it was possible to feel this tired," Casey moaned, her voice slightly muffled since she was lying face down on the sofa.

Derek entered the living room with glasses of iced tea for the two of them, and they reclined in silence for a little while, reflecting on their day.

"I'm not a big shopper, but I have to say, that was a lot of fun," Derek commented, and Casey looked at him in surprise. "Not that you should ever tell anyone this, of course," he suggested, winking at her.

"Cross my heart," Casey swore, making an x over her chest. She grinned at him. "And you even willingly bought gifts for other people. I can't believe it."

"You know I'm generous…when I want to be," he replied, before throwing a pillow at her.

She shrieked, and tossed it right back into his face. He grabbed a smaller pillow and began inundating her with blows to the stomach.

The inevitable "Der-ek!" escaped Casey's lips as she struggled to retaliate, and they somehow ended up rolling around the living room floor with pillows flying every which way.

They were laughing hysterically as Casey pinned him to the ground, and it was then that they heard a harrumph from behind them.

Dennis was peering at them as if he didn't know if he should be interfering, but was rather glad he had.

"You two…having fun?"

Derek's cheeks turned pink and he pushed Casey off of him. She got up slowly, brushing herself off and refusing to look at her father.

Dennis let out another "ahem" and asked in a somewhat bewildered tone, "Your mother lets you have pillow fights?"

Casey was still avoiding her father's gaze, so Derek spoke up. "Oh, we've had dust fights, shampoo fights, you name it. Our family's used to it by now."

Derek's heart was pounding in his chest as he waited for Dennis to respond—Derek knew exactly what made him want to fight with her like that, but would Dennis figure it out?

Dennis just shook his head, still a little uncomfortable with the whole situation. "Well, I'm just glad you didn't break anything," he told them sternly, and Casey finally spoke up with a quick apology.

"I'm going to get ready for dinner, why don't you two do the same?" he told them, and left the living room.

Derek nudged Casey playfully. "Your dad's not big on making a mess, is he?"

Casey was still blushing furiously; she didn't want to discuss this…situation…with Derek. Ever.

"Let's just put these pillows back, okay?" she replied, and began straightening up the living room. Derek followed suit, and they worked in silence, each glancing at the other occasionally, but then quickly turning away.

When all three of them were ready for dinner, Dennis hailed a cab and gave the driver a Times Square address. Derek was disappointed yet again that there would be no convertible involved, but Dennis had gone pale when he'd asked. "Driving through New York on a Friday night? No chance," he'd said.

"Where are we going, Dad?" Casey asked curiously.

"Oh, you'll see," Dennis replied, obviously enjoying being secretive.

They ended up at Mars 2112, a restaurant on Broadway that features "your opportunity to transcend the space-time continuum!"

Derek rolled his eyes at Casey as they got out of the cab. "Does your dad think we're like, ten, or something?"

Casey shushed him, but enjoyed the fact that he had leaned close enough to whisper into her ear. She returned the favor, and Derek felt chills go down his spine as she answered, "Be nice. It could be really cool."

He managed to shrug in response, but the tingle he had just felt didn't go away. Which was probably why he smiled goofily through the whole Star Tours rip-off of a ride that all the diners had to go on before entering "Mars."

Dennis looked a little green as the video ended, and they emerged from the spaceship-shaped room.

"You okay, Dad?" Casey asked, concerned.

He nodded, as his normal color returned. "Sorry, just got a little dizzy. It's close quarters in there, too."

"What made you bring us here, Dennis?" Derek spoke up, trying to sound excited.

"I came here last year with a date and her son, and he really enjoyed it, so I thought you guys would, too."

A date and her son? This was news to Casey.

"So, you're dating, Dad? Anyone…special?"

Dennis shook his head. "Don't worry, Sweetie. I'd tell you if I was seeing anyone seriously. She was just a woman from work."

Casey looked relieved, and Derek calmed down too; he had been a little concerned when he saw her face after the previous revelation.

Casey couldn't help feeling a little resentful that Derek was there; it kind of ruined the father-daughter moment they were having. _But you're getting along with both of them, and having fun_, Casey reminded herself. She shook her thoughts away as their table was called, and the three of them entered the dark tunnel that would take them to their seats.

There were flashing lights everywhere, and people in alien costumes roamed amongst the tables, shaking hands with diners and having their pictures taken. The walls were painted to look like red boulders, so that Derek felt like he really was on another planet.

"This place is seriously cool," he remarked.

Dennis looked pleased. "I'm glad you like it. I was afraid you'd think it was too babyish."

Derek shot Casey a Look, and she laughed. "No, it's great!" he told Dennis sincerely.

The three of them enjoyed their meal, laughing and talking all together, unlike the uncomfortable dinner they had shared the night before.

As they made their way out of the restaurant, Dennis handed Casey their _Rent_ tickets and told them to call when the show was over, and he'd come get them.

Casey surprised Derek by asking if it'd be okay if they took the subway home.

Dennis didn't look too thrilled about the idea, but he relented when he saw her hopeful face.

"Okay, just call me when you're leaving the theater, so I know you're on your way. You know where to go?"

"We checked out the theater earlier. Forty-First Street, right?" Derek spoke up.

"You got it. Be careful, you two." Dennis hugged Casey goodbye and shook Derek's hand, and he disappeared into the crowd to find a taxi.

Derek had to admit, he was actually starting to get excited about seeing the show. Casey had pulled up some information on it back at the apartment, and he thought the music might actually be decent; a "rock opera" was what it was called. He wasn't so sure about the cross-dressing aspect, though. That would be…interesting.

They made their way south on Broadway towards 41st Street. Since it was around seven on a Friday night, the streets were packed with shoppers, theatergoers, and tourists jostling their way through Times Square.

The light changed to "don't walk" as they reached 49th Street, but people were still going. Somehow, Casey had ended up following the crowd across the street, and when she turned to look for Derek, he was nowhere in sight.

"Derek!" she cried frantically, but she was drowned out by the hustle and bustle. It was difficult to stay in one spot, since she was going against the crowd's traffic; people kept knocking into her and bumping her, so that she could barely see.

Suddenly she felt a strong grip on her arm, and Derek was hauling her against a building. "Oh, my God, Case, I thought I lost you for a second," Derek scolded, obviously upset.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were with me!" Casey hadn't realized he'd get so worried; she kind of liked it.

That's what gave her the courage to suggest something so radical, she knew Derek would fight her on it. And he did.

"Give me your hand," she commanded, grasping his fingers in hers. He jumped at her touch, looking positively sick.

"Casey, I'm not holding your hand," he answered forcefully, tugging out of her grasp. _How did I get myself into this mess?_ he thought.

"No, sorry, Derek. It doesn't look like we have a choice. I have the tickets. You can't get in to see the show without me," she tried, once again grabbing his hand.

This time he didn't pull away, and she knew she'd won, though he snarled, "I don't even care about the stupid play."

Casey rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the exhilarating feeling of his hand in hers. "Come on, Der, it's only eight more blocks."

"Eight more blocks of your clammy hands," he mumbled, though the insult was half-hearted.

They made their way down Broadway once again, this time able to maneuver through the crowds together.

Derek didn't see a single thing all the way to the theater. He was too busy noticing the feel of Casey's delicate hand gripping his; she was depending on him to stay with her, to protect her. He loved the feeling.

They both forgot to sing as they crossed 42nd Street—their minds were elsewhere.

"Here we are, the Nederlander Theater," Casey announced, jolting Derek from his haze.

"Oh…yeah," he looked up at the sign that proclaimed the name of the theater, and next to it, the _Rent _sign. "Guess we are." But he didn't let go of her hand.

He didn't let go of it while they waited in line. He didn't let go as the usher took their tickets. He didn't even let go as he led them to their seats. Finally releasing her as they sat down, he instantly missed her proximity.

Casey was well aware that Derek knew he still had her hand that whole time. She didn't comment, though. What could she have said? The play was about to start. _So, Derek, what exactly does this mean? Is it possible you might…like me?_ Casey thought. _No, that's silly. He just wants me to know he doesn't hate me. Right?_

Casey didn't have a chance to talk to herself any more, as the lights came down and the actors playing Mark and Roger came on stage.

"December twenty-fourth, nine p.m., Eastern Standard Time…" Mark sang, and the play began.


	8. Cause Broadway Always Wears a Smile

I just read that _Rent_ is closing on Broadway June 1. That really kind of sucks. Sigh. I guess it'll still tour, though. I hope so. Anyway, on to the a/n I wrote before reading that depressing piece of news…

I don't give away any major _Rent_ spoilers, but if you haven't seen at least the movie you really need to Netflix it/rent it/buy it/borrow it/download it/pay-per-view it/heck, steal it, like, now. Because it is amazing. Know what else is amazing? You guys. Thanks for staying with me; hope you enjoy this chapter!

--Brandi

Disclaimer: I own the _Rent_ DVD, the _Rent_ soundtrack, songs off the _Rent _OBCR, the book _Without You_ by Anthony Rapp (Mark in _Rent_), my _Rent_ dolls, and my ticket stub from the show, but not _Rent_. If I did I'd keep it on B-way forever. Oh, and no _Life with Derek_ either. That's just the cherry on the not-owning-things sundae.

**Chapter 8: 'Cause Broadway Always Wears a Smile…**

"There's only us. There's only this. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road. No other way. No day but today…" the characters harmonized, and Casey couldn't help but be moved.

She looked over at Derek, and saw that he was watching intently, a serious look on his face. He hadn't even flinched when Angel had come out in that Santa costume, or during any of the same-sex kisses. She was quite proud of him.

By the intermission, Derek was so deep into it he just sat there, hands folded in his lap. Casey nudged him, and he looked over at her with a huge smile on his face. "This is…incredible," he breathed, and she almost laughed at him; he was like a baby who had just discovered the game of peek-a-boo.

All she said was, "Glad you're enjoying it," and flipped through her playbill.

By the finale, Derek was holding back tears. One line in the final song stuck out: "Give in to love, or live in fear." _Was he doing that? Was he letting his fear of how Casey would react stop him from confessing his feelings for her?_ It was certainly something to think about.

As the curtain came down, tears began to form and he fought hard to keep them away.

Casey turned to him, her own eyes wet. "So beautiful," she murmured, and then caught sight of Derek hastily wiping his eyes.

"Derek Venturi. You're not _crying_, are you?" She moved his arm away to see his red eyes. "Oh, my God, you are!"

Derek shook his head vehemently. "No way. I just got something in my eye."

"Yeah, right," Casey snorted, and he gave her a dirty look. "It's okay, Derek, that was a pretty moving play."

"Maybe," he eyed her warily. "But if I _were_ crying, which I'm not, no one would ever find out about it, right?"

"I'll take it to the grave," Casey deadpanned, realizing that this was the second time that day she had been privy to private information about her stepbrother. First that he liked shopping, and second, that he was actually able to cry. The guy was deeper than she gave him credit for.

They made their way out of the theater, but did not join hands again as they hit the street. Casey filled the silence by rambling on about the play; and Derek just let her voice wash over him. He tried to "mm-hmm" and nod in all the right places, but he was really thinking about a reason to hold her hand again. The pedestrian traffic had died down considerably, so that wouldn't be an excuse this time.

Casey whipped out her cell phone and called her dad, who told them he'd wait up for them.

They got to the 42nd Street subway station, and broke into another chorus of "42nd Street" as they descended the steps. A passerby gave them a dirty look, so they sang louder.

Derek never thought he'd be caught dead singing in front of a bunch of strangers waiting for a subway car. Oh, the things that girl could get him to do.

The train came pretty quickly, and they boarded a car that contained an elderly couple, a college-age guy wearing a Delta Nu sweatshirt, and a woman who looked to be about Nora's age, texting furiously into her phone.

The train zoomed off just as they claimed their seats, and Casey was glad they hadn't been knocked off their feet; the floor was pretty disgusting.

The journey back to the 33rd Street stop wasn't long, so they were surprised when the trip seemed to drag on.

"We're barely moving," Derek remarked, and Casey realized that the train had indeed slowed down.

Suddenly, the car jolted and the lights flickered out. Casey shrieked and clutched at Derek, who put his arm around her protectively.

"It's okay, Case," he whispered soothingly, and she calmed instantly.

The lights flickered back on, and they looked over to see that the other occupants were just as freaked out; except for the texting woman, whose fingers continued to fly over the keypad as though there had been no interruption.

"Attention passengers. We're experiencing slight technical difficulties and should be back on line shortly. Please do not try to exit the cars, and remain calm. We'll be moving again as soon as possible," the conductor instructed over the loudspeaker.

Derek turned to the college guy, and asked if this happened a lot.

"Nope, sorry, dude. I've been here a year and this is the first time a train's broken down."

As he finished speaking, the lights went out again. Derek and Casey glanced over at the texting lady and she was still going at it. They grinned at each other through the darkness, and the lights instantly came back on.

"They really need to stop doing that," the college guy remarked.

"Sorry, folks, looks like we might be a few minutes here," the conductor spoke up again, and Derek groaned.

"That's just great," he complained.

Casey shrugged, willing to make the best of it. "Well, we could play Twenty Questions."

"Nah."

"Would You Rather?"

Derek gave her a Look. "When we played that at Sam's party it took ten minutes for you to make up your mind. You drove everyone crazy with your lists of pros and cons."

"Hey, that was a very serious question I got stuck on. I mean really, you'd have to think it through. On the one hand, if you had to walk on your hands for the rest of your life, you'd have to get really skilled at doing things with your toes. On the other hand, choosing walking backward would be cool because no one could follow you, but you'd get an awful crick in your neck from turning your head all the time…"

College Guy snorted, obviously eavesdropping on their conversation. "Your girlfriend's a handful, bro," he told Derek, and Casey stopped her deliberating and glared at him.

Derek said a little too quickly, "She's not my girlfriend."

College Guy's eyes lit up for a second as he checked Casey out, and Derek knew he had to stamp all thoughts of Casey out of this horndog's head.

"She's my stepsister, so back off," he replied, and College Guy shrank back a little, intimidated by Derek's commanding tone.

A great idea came to Casey out of the blue. This was the perfect time to get Derek back for his little stunt with Annie.

Casey put a hand on Derek's shoulder. "Now, wait a minute, _bro_," she said pointedly. "You don't have a say in who I talk to." She turned to College Guy. "Hi. So what school do you go to?" she asked sweetly, moving closer to him and twirling her hair around her finger in what she hoped was an alluring manner.

"Um," College Guy gulped, "Columbia…" he trailed off as Casey ran a hand along his arm.

"Ooh, you're so strong. Do you work out?" she purred, and Derek almost ripped half his hair out, he was pulling at it so roughly.

"Stop it, Case," he told her, tugging on her arm.

"Stop what, Der? Being friendly?" She moved even closer to Columbia Guy, and he continued to look nervous. "Want to go sit and talk somewhere more…private? Like on the other side of the car?" Casey noticed that Derek was about to boil over.

Columbia Guy noticed it too; Derek was staring daggers at him.

"Uh…look, I just thought you were hot, I don't want any trouble with your brother," he whimpered.

"Good, so stay away from her!" Derek piped up angrily.

Casey gave Derek a long look. "What's the matter? Don't like getting a taste of your own medicine?"

Derek gazed at Casey, more than a little shocked. "This was payback for Annie? Low, McDonald. Low."

"Only because you let it get to you. You're not jealous, are you?" she asked teasingly.

"What? Pff. No." Derek gave Columbia Guy one last piercing glare, and he got up and left them alone, shaking his head in confusion.

"I thought you'd forgiven me for Annie," he said, sounding hopeful, and yet sad at the same time.

"Oh, I forgave you, but I never said I wouldn't get even. And the look on your face was all the revenge I needed."

"Like I said, that was low."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry. Are we okay now?"

"As in, clean slate?" The hope had returned to his voice.

"Clean slate."

"Okay, I guess so."

"Good," she said, and rested her head on his shoulder. "So how are we going to pass the time?"

Derek and Casey looked around. Columbia Guy had retreated farther down the car, Texting Lady was still lost in SMS world, and the elderly couple was talking quietly a few seats down.

"Want to go talk to them?" Casey asked, and Derek agreed. It was better than listening to Casey debate a hypothetical Would You Rather question, or continuing to sit with her head where it was. How did she expect him to think clearly with her silky hair an inch from his face?

They walked over and introduced themselves, and the woman, Gina, remarked, "Oh, you two make such a lovely couple, don't they, Bill?" Her husband agreed, and they gazed fondly at their traveling companions.

Derek and Casey exchanged a look, but neither of them bothered to correct her. That hadn't panned out so well a minute ago.

Gina went on, "I remember when we first met. We were fifteen, and Billy was working at the boardwalk, where my family stayed every summer," she told them. "Oh, but you two probably don't want to hear about old bats like us, do you now?"

Casey replied, "Don't be silly, we'd love to."

Derek chimed in, "We don't exactly have anything else to do."

Bill chuckled at that. "Isn't that the truth? We just wanted to get home and put our feet up, but that's not going to happen for awhile. Go on, Gina, these kids actually want to hear about us, for some strange reason."

Gina patted his knee. "Oh, Bill, you know you like to hear it too."

"That I do, my dear," Bill answered, and motioned for her to continue. "Go on, then."

"Well, my family went to this same beach every year, and when I was fifteen I was allowed to walk the boardwalk alone for the first time. I brought my little sister along, and we visited all the shops. Bill worked at the concession stand, and I thought he had the cutest smile. The first time we touched—when he handed me a Popsicle—I knew my life would never be the same."

Derek and Casey smiled at this, and Gina patted Bill's knee again. "I went back to that stand every hour for the rest of the day, and as Bill's shift was ending he finally asked me to have dinner with him that night. I said yes, of course, and everything was just perfect. For awhile."

"What happened?" Casey asked, and Derek could tell that she was caught up in the love story.

"Oh, we were having a grand time. But one day I mentioned Bill's last name to my mother, and she told me she didn't think it was a good idea to see him any more. I was hurt, and confused. She liked Bill; he'd come around the house plenty of times. So I asked Bill if he knew why my mother would react so strongly to his name. Bill thought maybe our parents knew each other.

"So we asked my father about it, and his parents, and finally, we got it out of them. My mother had actually been married to Bill's father for about six months. They had met at the seashore too, since my mother had been coming to the same beach before I was born, as had Bill's father. Apparently their parents had disapproved of the relationship, and they had eloped. They called it quits after less than a year; and their parents welcomed them back home, but relationships were strained."

Derek and Casey were overcome with shock at this point. Damn.

"Anyway, Bill and I were pretty upset. What if they had had children before divorcing? We might have had mutual siblings! Or worse, what if they had never divorced at all? This didn't stop us from staying together, though we realized it was tough on my mother and his father. The divorce had been pretty bitter, and they hadn't seen each other since before they had both remarried and had us. But after they realized we were serious about each other, they tried to become friends. All four of our parents supported us when Bill asked me to marry him."

"Wow," Casey sighed, trying to take it all in. "That's an amazing story."

Gina smiled proudly. "We think so. We've been together sixty-one years now." Bill nodded, smiling too.

Derek shifted in his seat. This was hitting a little to close to home for his liking.

Casey was still caught up in the romance of it all, but the parallel wasn't lost on her either. She and Derek weren't in exactly the same situation, but Casey knew she felt the same way about Derek that Gina had felt about Bill.

"So how did you two meet?" Bill asked, and both Casey and Derek were at a loss for words.


	9. A Million Hearts Beat Quicker There

You guys rock. And I really hope you like this chapter- I rewrote it so many times I'm not sure how good it is. So keep reviewing and let me know!

--Brandi

Disclaimer: They were just about to hand over the LwD rights to me yesterday, but Agent J swooped in and flashie-thinged everybody. It seems that aliens had infiltrated the LwD soundstage and began eating the cheese Mike and Ash had melted on the stage lights. So by the time the MIB cleanup crew got all the aliens out of there, I had to catch my flight back home and didn't get the rights. Better luck next time, huh?

**Chapter 9: A Million Hearts Beat Quicker There…**

Casey jumped in before Derek could think of something to say. "My mom got remarried, and moved me to Derek's town. We go to the same high school, and I got a job at the restaurant where Derek's assistant manager."

Derek stared at her in disbelief. She had come up with that faster than he could think of a lie, and so far what she was saying was technically true. She really had learned a lot from him.

"So he's your boss?" Bill chuckled.

"No!" Casey looked embarrassed. "I didn't last very long; he had to fire me. I was a terrible waitress. But he stood up for me when the manager was being a jerk, so I saw what a good guy he was."

Derek was sure his mouth was hanging open. First, she was doing a great job of making it sound like a real "meet-cute." Second, out of all the experiences they had shared, she picked _that one_ to tell complete strangers?

The loudspeaker crackled then, and the conductor announced, "We're back on track, folks. Thank you for your patience, and we apologize for the delay."

"Wonderful!" Gina cried as the train started moving again. The couple stood up as their stop approached.

"It was so nice talking to you two. Have a lovely night!" she called, as they reached their stop and disembarked. Bill gave a salute, and Derek and Casey waved and shouted goodbye.

Derek turned to Casey as they stood themselves, ready to get off at their stop. "Why did you pick that story?" he asked.

"Because that was the first time we really just kind of chilled together, and I had fun with you that night. Remember how we made Liz and Ed our slaves for the rest of the night after we caught them in my room?"

Derek laughed. "Oh, I remember. But I'm hurt it took you that long to figure out how fantastic I am."

"Don't flatter yourself. I just said I enjoyed your company. I also enjoy the company of my hair dryer, and that's nothing to write home about."

Derek rolled his eyes. "You're so lame."

"You're so vain," she shot back, then giggled. "You're so vain…" she began to sing, and Derek placed his finger on her lips to silence her. It worked immediately.

"Not in front of him," he whispered, pointing to Columbia Guy. "If he hears how good your voice is he'll be chasing us down the block wanting your number."

Casey's lips were still tingling from his touch, and she managed to reply, "Is it possible that you just complimented me?" she asked in awe.

"Maybe."

"That's a yes," Casey declared, and it made her smile.

She pulled him out of the train as they reached 33rd Street, and her phone started beeping as soon as they got back up to the street.

Dennis had understandably been freaking out about where they were; it was past midnight.

Casey called him and explained what happened, and they practically ran the three blocks to the apartment. He was at the door to meet them, and smothered them both in hugs.

"I was so worried!" Dennis cried, leading them up to the apartment. "It's a good thing I'll be around tomorrow to keep an eye on you two; I can't afford any more gray hairs," he joked.

Casey stopped short. _Oh yeah, Dad will be with us tomorrow_, she thought. She wasn't quite sure whether she was happy about that.

As they entered the apartment an exhausted Dennis bid them goodnight and went right to bed, but Casey and Derek were too wired from the night's events to even think about going to bed yet. They quickly put on their pajamas, and met back in the hallway outside the Butterfly Room.

"You want to, uh, hang out in my room?" Casey asked.

"Sure," he replied, trying his best to stay calm. This wasn't like at home, when he barged into her room whenever he felt like it. This was different—she had made it very clear by her reaction Wednesday night that she wanted him sleeping on the couch, and now she was inviting him to come into her territory. He actually felt like he wouldn't mind sleeping in there. It was better than the stupid couch, and really, they had had a nice day together. There was nothing wrong with two friends sharing a room, right? Then again, she hadn't said sleep; she'd just said 'hang out.' So Derek didn't get his hopes up.

"Penny for your thoughts," Casey teased, and Derek realized he was standing in the doorway, engaged in his internal monologue.

"What? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking, that's a _lot_ of butterflies," he said, gesturing to the wallpaper, bedspreads, and curtains.

"Shut up, my dad did a nice job," Casey scolded, as she dumped some of their M&M's loot on her bed. "Want some?"

Derek took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold, finally joining her in the room. He made himself comfortable at the foot of the bed, and she handed him a chocolate bar.

As he unwrapped it, he said slowly, "So that was some story that couple told us."

Casey looked up sharply. "Yeah. So weird their parents had been married." Casey was feeling very uncomfortable all of a sudden; she didn't really want to be talking about this. What if she accidentally told Derek how she felt about him? Best to leave the parallels to their own lives alone.

She quickly changed the subject, to something funny Ralph had done at lunch the other day, and pretty soon they were laughing and chatting away, devouring the chocolate Casey had rationed out.

Derek was getting really tired, but he didn't want to go to sleep. That would mean ending this amazing time they were having, and he wasn't ready to do that just yet.

He had made the decision when he stepped into the room, but he still surprised himself when he actually did it—Casey was talking about something random, and he interrupted her, taking her hand in his and running his fingers over her smooth skin.

"Case, I've been thinking a lot about the play tonight, and the lines about forgetting regret, and giving in to love," he began, and Casey's breath caught in her throat as he continued, practically shaking with nervousness.

"I'm not real good with words, so I think I'd better just show you what I'm talking about."

And with that he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers; she let out a surprised sound, and pulled away, looking at Derek in disbelief.

"Derek, what are you doing?" she squeaked.

Derek didn't respond, he merely went in for another kiss, and this time she kissed him back, though she was hesitant at first. He moved himself forward and gently lowered her so that she was resting on her back with her head on the pillow.

Positioned over top of her so that their lips were less than an inch apart, Derek didn't make a move to kiss her again. Casey knew he was silently asking if it was okay to continue, and she answered by bringing her head up to meet his lips yet again. This time they didn't break contact for quite a while.


	10. When I Hear That Happy Beat

So glad the kiss got a good response! But now it's time for Casey to become, well, Casey. Because I adore her, I really do- but we all know she's a bit, shall we say, uptight. Enjoy!

--Brandi

Disclaimer: I decided that next time I'm in NYC I'm going to go to all the places I've mentioned and put little "Property of Brandi" stickers on the doors. That way I'll technically own the stuff. But I think that's probably illegal, so I'd better stick with just borrowing the things I mention for now.

**Chapter 10: When I Hear That Happy Beat…**

Derek stirred underneath her as Casey awoke the next morning. Last night came flooding back to her, and she suppressed a groan. She had kissed her stepbrother. Derek. She had kissed Derek. Oh God.

_Okay, I'm not going to panic until I open my eyes_, Casey told herself, and squeezed them shut as she thought about the night before. Was she glad he had kissed her? She thought so. But that didn't excuse the fact that they had fallen asleep together on Casey's bed. But she was so warm and comfortable, and his strong arm was draped over her, and she wanted to stay there forever. But she had to open her eyes and face the music.

She opened them and immediately shut them again when she saw how adorable Derek looked while he was sleeping.

_Okay, a few more minutes of happiness_, Casey bargained with herself. _And then I'll get up and start freaking out. _

She lay quietly for another minute or so, enjoying the feeling of Derek's chest rising up and down as he breathed. She wondered what time it was. Her dad was an early riser, and they had fallen asleep pretty late the night before, much later than he had.

Derek stirred again and she realized he was about to wake up, if he hadn't already. She pressed a kiss to his chest quickly before opening her eyes, then jumped up and ran out of the room.

_Oh, my God. Oh, my God. This is a disaster!_ Casey couldn't stop the thoughts from spilling out when her eyes were opened. She paced the hallway, tugging at her hair and occasionally banging her head against the wall in frustration. _What does this mean? I mean, we were getting along, but we still fight so much. Could he possibly want to be with me? This is what I wanted, right? Why am I feeling so dirty, like I did something wrong? Oh, yeah, because he's my brother. The "step" part is a technicality, isn't it? Oh God oh God oh God._

"Case?" Dennis called as he came into the hallway to see Casey banging her head against the wall lightly.

Casey straightened up and gave him a sheepish look. "Good morning, Dad," she said, trying to keep her voice level.

"Mind telling me why you're bashing your head against the wall?"

"Uh…no reason. I'm just thinking. But I'm okay now." She'd have to finish her freak-out later. "Are we going out to breakfast?"

"It's already ten o'clock, so we'd better stay here and have something quickly. I'll get Derek up in a minute or two."

"Ten?" Casey cried. "We've missed so much sight-seeing already!"

"Relax, we're fine. I was thinking I'd take you guys to the American Museum of Natural History today. Sound good?"

"Sure," Casey answered, following her dad into the kitchen and fixing herself some cereal.

Dennis hesitated before speaking again, but he decided he'd better ask, or he'd never know. "What made Derek sleep in the bedroom last night?"

It took every ounce of her strength to keep from choking on her breakfast. She finished chewing, swallowed, and wiped her mouth with a napkin before answering. "Um…he said the couch was uncomfortable."

Dennis nodded. "Oh."

Casey couldn't tell if he believed her or not. He got up and went to the bedroom, knocking and calling for Derek.

_Please don't let him open the door and see Derek in my bed_, Casey prayed.

Luckily, Derek came out, rubbing his eyes, and joined Casey in the kitchen. He was about to say something when her dad came back in.

"I was telling Casey I'd like to take you to the Museum of Natural History," Dennis told Derek. "And we could stop at FAO Schwarz on the way there, so you can try out the piano."

"Ooh, really?" Casey was excited about that. She had always wanted to see the piano after watching _Big_, where Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia played "Heart and Soul" with their feet.

"Sounds like a plan," Derek replied, pouring cereal into a bowl.

Dennis went to finish getting dressed, and Derek leaned closer to Casey. "Case, listen—"

"No, not now, Derek. We can't talk about this while my dad's here. What if he hears us?"

"If we could just—"

"No. I said, _not now_," Casey interrupted again. She finished the last of her cereal and left the kitchen to get dressed herself.

Derek pounded the table in frustration and pressed his forehead to the cool surface. He was such an idiot. Why did he have to go and kiss her?

_I'm so confused_, Derek thought. _What does this make us? What do I want us to be? Arrgh. _

The three of them set out for the toy store, Casey and Derek trying their best to act normally so that Dennis wouldn't ask questions. They left the building and turned onto Madison Avenue, where Dennis hailed a cab.

The ride wasn't all that long, but Derek ended up squished next to Casey, which didn't help matters. They tried to make the best of it, focusing on what Dennis was saying; he pointed out the view of the Empire State Building as they turned onto Fifth Avenue, and the Plaza, which was just down the street from FAO Schwarz.

Casey's eyes lit up when she saw all the designer shops again, but Dennis shook his head. "We can shop after the museum. I just wanted to go here first to beat the lines."

"Lines?" Casey asked.

"To try the piano."

"Oh." Casey shouldn't have been surprised. The city was always crawling with people and a toy store would be no exception.

The cab let them out by the store, and they admired the man in the toy soldier costume who stood outside. He saluted them and gave Casey a wink, which made her giggle.

They stepped inside the store, and both Derek and Casey gasped. They had never seen so many toys at once. There were hundreds of stuffed animals. Some were life-sized—there were lions and zebras and deer and bears—and some small enough to fit in your pocket. At the escalator a perky employee greeted them, and when they arrived at the second floor, the piano came into view.

Derek knew Casey was about to squeal with excitement; he put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed it. "Cool, huh?" he said, and Casey looked at him pleadingly.

"Do it with me, Derek?" she asked, and Derek smirked at her. She rolled her eyes at the accidental innuendo. "Not another word. Just come on."

He was still recovering from the thoughts her last comment had brought on, but he agreed.

They were first in line, and Dennis stood off to the side, smiling at their excitement.

"Here, I'll be on the left, and you be on the right," Casey instructed, as they stepped up to the giant keys.

"Because I'm never wrong?" Derek teased, and Casey rolled her eyes again. At least things weren't uncomfortable between them. She was afraid he'd act weird despite her dad's presence. But he was acting like the Derek she knew.

They began to tap out "Chopsticks," and the each key lit up as they pressed it with their feet. Casey couldn't keep the smile off her face and she looked over to see Derek smiling too.

"Do you know 'Heart and Soul?'" she asked him.

He shrugged. "I guess."

"Okay, well, you keep the beat on these keys," she pointed to the lower notes, "and I'll do the high notes."

They switched spots and attempted the song. It was harder than it looked, and Derek made a lot more mistakes than Casey did. They did manage to get out a recognizable tune, though, and Dennis clapped loudly when they were finished.

"That was so much fun!" Casey cried, still high off the experience.

"You were great," Derek told her sincerely, and it wiped the smile right off her face.

"That's an actual compliment, Venturi. You sure you mean it?" she asked, looking him straight in the eye, as if she could find his true feelings there.

Derek broke their eye contact, but he nodded.

Dennis, oblivious to the exchange, suggested they go look around for a while.

Casey found a stuffed iguana wearing a soccer uniform. "Look, Der, isn't this perfect for Lizzie?"

He laughed. "Lizard the Soccer Player. Perfect," he echoed, and held up a Magic 8 Ball with the FAO Schwarz logo where the "8" should be. "For Dad. He used to have one a long time ago, but I think Marti broke it trying to use it as a bowling ball. It became permanently stuck on 'Ask again later.' So he kept asking, and it kept telling him to try again."

It was Casey's turn to laugh. "Great. Now we just need my mom, and Sam."

"I'm not going to find anything for Sam here. As for Nora, who knows?"

Casey didn't yet, but she was determined to find her something nice. "Let's go find Dad, then, and pay."

Dennis was wandering in the blocks section, admiring the Batman made entirely of gray and black Legos.

They all stopped to admire the Lego sculptures for a minute, and then headed downstairs to pay for their purchases.

Dennis suggested a quick trip to the ice cream shop, situated in the middle of the first floor, to hold them over before a late lunch. It didn't take much convincing, and they split a monstrous sundae overflowing with hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles.

They were served by a cute young waitress in a very short skirt, and Casey watched Derek carefully. He didn't check her out once, and didn't so much as wink at her. This was a very good sign.

Back on Fifth Avenue, they grabbed a taxi for the American Museum of Natural History, and drove along Central Park West. Dennis pointed out the park, but both Derek and Casey refused to look as they drove by. That hadn't exactly been their favorite spot, given Thursday's events.

At the museum, they got in line for tickets, and Dennis asked if they wanted to see the Hayden Planetarium show.

_Casey and I sitting next to each other in a dark theater with a bunch of people, and Dennis, around? Not a good idea_, Derek thought. So he politely declined, and Casey sent him a relieved look. She had apparently been thinking the same thing.

They headed out into the Hall of African Mammals, and came upon a gorilla diorama.

"Oh, look, Derek, it's your twin," Casey teased, pointing at the alpha male, and he and Dennis both groaned at the lame joke.

Casey expected an insult back, but Derek was too wrapped up in his own thoughts: how he was going to get Casey alone to talk when everywhere they went was full of people, and most frustratingly, Dennis.


	11. I'll Make a Brand New Start of It

Today was the first day of my last semester of college. I'm a little sad, but excited, too. I just know it's going to go by so quickly, and I want it to, but then again I want it to last forever. Anyway, to "celebrate" I'm posting Chapter 11. And I love hearing from you guys, so I know your reviews will totally cheer me up:)

Oh, and Derek's OoC again, but this can't be helped (at least, I can't help it). He'll probably be OoC for the rest of the fic, too, but I know you'll understand why. Casey turns him to mush. Simple as that. And I'm not the biggest fan of this chapter myself, but hopefully you guys won't think it's too terrible.

--Brandi

Disclaimer: Eh, some people own some stuff that I don't, and I probably shouldn't use it without their permission. But I'm gonna. Because the Hayden Sphere is seriously cool.

**Chapter 11: I'll Make a Brand New Start of It…**

They had wandered among the dioramas for a while, and then headed upstairs to the Fossil Halls to see some dinosaurs. They worked their way down from that floor and ended up in the Rose Center, which contained the Hayden Sphere, the two story orb that housed the planetarium and the Cosmic Pathway, tracing the universe from its beginnings to the present day.

As the three of them began walking down the spiral-shaped Pathway, Derek saw his chance to pull Casey aside. Dennis wanted to stop and read everything, so he was a lot less far along the pathway than Derek and Casey.

The guard in front of the Hayden Sphere's entrance had left his post to chase after some unruly children, so Derek grabbed Casey's hand and dragged her to the planetarium doors; he opened them quietly and slipped inside with her.

The antechamber was completely dark except for a few blinking lights, and their eyes took a moment to adjust. They could hear the show going on inside the planetarium, and Derek looked at his watch. They had about ten minutes before it let out, according to the sign outside the door.

"What are you doing?" Casey hissed.

Derek had had full intentions of discussing last night with her, but he saw her standing there in the darkness, hands on hips, and couldn't help himself.

He backed her up against the wall and could hear her breath quicken. She didn't pull away as he placed his hand on the side of her face, stroking her cheek gently. He wrapped his other arm around her waist, and Casey's heart beat faster; she figured he was going to kiss her again.

He did, and she knew she really should pull away and talk to him, but his lips just felt so perfect against hers. She tangled her hands in his hair and he moved both hands to her back, holding her tightly against him as the kiss got more intense.

After awhile Casey couldn't ignore her conscience any longer; she gently pushed Derek away from her. He looked dazed, and Casey had a feeling her expression mirrored his.

"So…" Casey began, but Derek jumped in before she could say any more.

"Wait, let me say something." She nodded, encouraging him to speak, and he went on, "I don't know what this is, and I don't really want to try to figure it out right now. Can we just enjoy this without analyzing it to death?"

Casey was offended. "You obviously don't know me at all if you think I'm just going to keep kissing you and not think twice about it." She began to back away, but he grabbed her hand.

"Case, that's not what I meant. I know we have to talk about it eventually. But can it wait until the weekend's over? We're finally getting along and having a great time, let's just let it be for awhile."

"No, I can't do that," she said defiantly.

Casey's mind was made up, but Derek desperately wanted to change it.

He knew it was futile, though. She'd get her way in the end. He just had to find a way to get her to listen to reason and not go off on one of her analysis spirals that involved a paper bag, several shouts of "Der-ek!" and a trip to Paul's office.

Derek attempted to put her mind at ease. "Look, it's easy. You either like me, or you don't. If you like me, we can be together. If you don't, then we'll just forget this ever happened and go back to the way things were." He stared directly into her eyes, willing her to pick the former.

"It's not that simple! Yes, I like you, okay? But we can't just 'be together.' You know that."

Derek sighed with relief. She had admitted she liked him—the rest would be a cakewalk. "And _you_ know that if I want something, I get it. Right?"

Casey looked hesitant. "Right, I guess. So…that means you want me?"

"I can't believe you haven't figured that out already."

"Answer the question," Casey told him firmly.

"Yes, I do. You're the last person I would have expected to fall for, but I've had feelings for you for a long time. There, are you happy now? Can we just talk about all the rest later?"

Casey was taken aback. She was surprised he'd actually admitted it, and she felt so happy she thought she might cry. But she kept the tears at bay; the last thing she wanted to do was scare him off.

"The rest, as in how in the world we can have a relationship? We're _stepsiblings_, Derek. Did you forget that little detail?"

"No, I'm reminded of it every single day when we go to bed and I know you're on the other side of the wall. I wasn't sure I'd ever get a chance to tell you how I felt, because I was too worried about what others might think. Well, screw other people. I finally have you; I'm not letting you go!"

"What are Mom and George going to think? What is my Dad going to say if we walk out of here and tell him, 'Oh, by the way, Derek and I are a couple now.' It doesn't work that way."

"I know that. You think I don't _know_ that? We'll break it to them gently. I don't think we should tell your dad anything. It'd be too weird, and we only have this last full day in the city."

"You promise me we'll talk to our parents when we get home?"

"I can't promise you that. We have to think it through."

"No, Derek, you have to promise me. This is never going to work if our family doesn't support us; what are we going to do, keep it a secret until we move out?"

"That's starting to sound like a good idea," Derek mused, and Casey smacked him on the arm.

"That is a terrible idea. We're like Romeo and Juliet. They died, and no one knew they were together. They killed themselves because they thought no one would understand."

"Okay, Drama Queen. First of all, we don't live in the sixteenth century. Secondly, we're not going to elope and then commit suicide. Our parents aren't even feuding. It's the exact opposite."

Casey looked surprised. "You read Romeo and Juliet?"

"No, I saw the movie. Focus. You can't worry so much. Whatever our parents say, we'll find a way to be together. We only have a little over a year left at home anyway. They can't do anything once we're eighteen, right?"

"I guess not. What about our friends?" 

"What about them? They can deal with it, or they were never really our friends in the first place."

Still uncertain, Casey tried one more question. "What about you, Derek?"

"What about me?"

"You made out with a girl you knew for five minutes a couple of days ago. How do I know this is what you want; that you won't get bored with me and move on after a week?"

This stopped Derek in his tracks. She was right. How _did_ he know he wouldn't get bored with her?

"That's what I thought," Casey continued when he didn't answer. She glared at him. "You don't like commitment. I can't trust you."

It killed him to hear her say that—she could trust him with her life.

"Case, I don't know what I can say to convince you. Just know that I'm going to try my best, okay? I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you, and I just know it's right. I'm not going to get bored, because you're always keeping me on my toes. You know how to push my buttons, and I know how to push yours. It keeps us coming back for more. As for Annie, you know I was just trying to make you jealous, right? Apparently, it worked."

Casey considered this little speech, and gave him a peck on the lips as she said, "You better be as good as your word, Venturi."

"Scout's honor," he swore, and she batted his arm again with a smile.

He responded by pulling her into a tight hug, and Casey melted into him; in that moment, all her doubts and fears flew out of her head, and she just enjoyed the fact that she was hugging _Derek_. She'd wanted to do this for years. And it was every bit as good as she'd imagined. He was a good hugger.

Suddenly the doors to the planetarium opened, and people began pouring out.

"That's our cue," Derek said, and led Casey out the door to find her Dad.

Luckily, he hadn't even noticed they'd been gone; he was too busy reading about quarks.

"Learning a lot, Dad?" Casey asked, coming up next to him.

He looked up, startled. "Oh, uh, yeah. And you two?"

"Tons of great stuff," Derek said with a completely straight face, but he broke into a smile when his eyes met Casey's. "We're going to the gift shop, come find us there when you're done."

Dennis nodded, still engrossed in the display.

They wandered around the space memorabilia, Derek determined to find a gift for Sam. He settled on a keychain with the museum's logo on it.

"Sam told me not to get him anything, but you know that means I have to get him something," Derek told Casey in annoyance. "I'm so bad at this gift-buying thing."

"He'll love it," Casey predicted.

As they finished up at the cash register Dennis came over to them. "You two ready to hit the streets again?"

"Yes, sir," Derek answered, and they left the museum.

Dennis could tell something had changed since that morning; Derek and Casey were both in good moods, both smiling, both acting as though they didn't have a care in the world. But he didn't say anything—why jinx it?


	12. It Blinks, It Tilts, It Rings

You're probably going to groan at their conversation in front of the Disney Store. But I couldn't resist :) Enjoy!

--Brandi

Disclaimer: Remember when Buttercup got abducted by aliens at the end of _The Princess Bride_? Remember when Al Gore got elected president? Remember when the Baldwin brothers all won Oscars at the same time? Remember when the U.S. declared war on Greenland? Remember when I got awarded the rights to everything I mention in this chapter, including _Life with Derek_? Yup, me neither.

**Chapter 12: It Blinks, It Tilts, It Rings…**

Dennis, Derek, and Casey cut through Central Park to Fifth Avenue, where they took their time heading towards the fancy stores.

Casey could look at the Park now and her heart didn't beat more rapidly, and Derek was calmer too. They kept catching each other's eye and grinning.

Finally Dennis couldn't stand it anymore.

"What is wrong with you two? First you're fighting, then you're okay, then you're fighting again, now you're happy as can be? Am I missing something here?" he asked in confusion.

"No, Dad, that's just how we are," Casey said vaguely, and Derek nodded in agreement.

"But…" Dennis trailed off. "Okay, whatever you say," he sighed in resignation. That's what he got for trying to understand teenagers.

"Don't worry about it, Dennis, we're not fighting now and that's all that matters," Derek told him.

They reached FAO Schwarz again and Derek asked to go into the Apple Store, which was right next door. They shopped there for a little while, then crossed the street to hit Bergdorf Goodman (Casey went over to an enticing handbag display, but quickly backed up when she looked at one of the price tags), Prada (ditto), and Henri Bendel (ditto again).

"Okay, I think that's enough shopping for things I'll never afford," Casey told her dad, and he laughed.

"Let me just get that suit I need at Brooks Brothers," he requested, and they headed there so Dennis could make his purchase.

"I bet you'd look really good in one of these," Casey told Derek, as they waited for Dennis by a rack of relatively inexpensive suits.

"Couldn't pay me enough," he teased her, but he saw she was serious.

"I want to see you in that suit," Casey instructed, pointing to a dark gray number.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Fine. There's nothing better to do in here anyway," he said as he took the suit off the rack and headed into the fitting rooms. Casey followed closely behind, and he eyed her strangely.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing," she said unconvincingly. "I'll need to tell you how it looks, so I have to come in, right?"

_Alone with Casey in a tiny fitting room…with a lockable door?_ He was so there.

Apparently that had been Casey's idea as well, for as soon as he pulled open one of the dressing room doors she shoved him inside and slammed it shut.

"I think my dad's a couple stalls over, so don't use names," she whispered.

Derek was taken aback. _Who _is _this girl? Certainly not the Casey I know_, he thought. Not that he was complaining.

She shoved him against the mirror, the suit forgotten on the floor. He wrapped his arms around her and she placed both palms on his cheeks, looking into his eyes. Then she kissed him so fiercely his head hit the wall with a thud, and they both cringed.

No one seemed to have heard, so they continued their little romantic interlude, until they heard a stall door open.

"I think that's my dad," Casey whispered, pulling away from him; she smoothed out her clothes and tried to fix her hair.

Derek stood there in shock, still plastered to the mirror. "What…was that?" he choked out.

Casey smirked at him, enjoying his confusion. "Didn't think I was capable of something like that? You have a lot to learn, boy," she told him with a wink, and he looked at her with so much admiration he thought he would burst.

Derek was obviously not ready to move yet, so she pulled him up from the wall and began fixing his clothes for him. He seemed to come to his senses then, and Casey stopped, gesturing to the suit and whispering, "I'll go first; you count to sixty and then follow me, and don't forget the suit."

Derek nodded, and Casey left, after rubbing her thumb across his bottom lip lovingly for a second.

He did as she said, and left the dressing room about a minute later.

Casey was admiring the ensemble her dad had picked out when Derek joined them. They agreed to cross the street again and go to Tiffany's. Casey had been dying to go there ever since she had discovered Holly Golightly, and even Derek was sort of excited to see what it was like inside.

So they headed back the direction they had come, and stopped outside the Disney Store.

"Should we go in here for a minute?" Dennis asked, and Casey and Derek peered into the window. Hannah Montana merchandise covered the shelves as far as the eye could see, and there were piles upon piles of High School Musical towels, t-shirts, mugs, and posters.

"Nah," Casey and Derek said together, and then smiled at each other.

"I hate how Disney only promotes certain shows, and half of them aren't even very good," Casey remarked, and Derek nodded his head in agreement.

"I know. They air that Hannah Montana junk like five times a day and leave the good shows with the crappy three o'clock timeslots."

"How would you know?"

"Marti, of course. She lets me watch my shows, so I have to sit through hers sometimes. The one about the kid from the future is okay, but the twins in that hotel? Without Ashley Tisdale in that short little skirt it'd be terrible."

"Der-ek!" Casey cried, but she was smiling.

Dennis just stood there while Derek and Casey debated the Disney Channel. "Uh…you two done?" he finally asked, and they both looked up at him guiltily.

"Sorry, Dad, let's go," Casey said, and Dennis just shook his head. Was he ever going to understand those two?

They finally arrived at Tiffany & Co., and Casey practically ran inside. She took her time examining each jewelry case. Dennis wandered over to the watch section, and Derek just roamed around, admiring the sparkly diamonds.

He was gazing absent-mindedly at a shelf of relatively inexpensive necklaces, when something caught his eye.

It was a silver necklace with a sterling silver butterfly pendant; the butterfly's antennae were diamonds and its wings had been painted a vivid sky blue.

Derek didn't really know what he was doing; the next thing he knew he was at the cashier, pulling out most of the money he'd saved up as emergency cash, and paying for that necklace.

He didn't know what made him do it; maybe it was because he wanted to give Casey something to show her how he felt about her, so she would know he was sincere. Maybe it was because their first kiss had occurred in a room with butterflies all over it, and just seeing that necklace brought him back to the night before. He didn't know. And he was pretty sure he would have to pick up extra hours at Smelly Nelly's for the next month just to pay for it, but it was so worth it.

He managed to hide the necklace bag in his pocket before anyone spotted him, and he joined Casey and her dad looking at engagement rings.

His heart stopped for a second as he gave her a hard look. "Case, what are you doing?"

"Just looking, Derek, just looking," she told him lightly, not realizing how much the sight of an engagement ring and Casey in the same line of vision was affecting him.

If he had had any money left he probably would have bought one for her and proposed on the spot. But he shook those thoughts from his head pretty quickly. They weren't even done high school yet; he could wait a few years. But he knew he wanted to get her one of those beautiful rings one day. Maybe he'd even take her back to the city to propose…

_Get a grip, Venturi_, he scolded himself. _You're turning into a sap_.

Casey and Dennis startled Derek out of his daydream with a suggestion to get going.

"It's almost dinnertime. I think we should go back to the apartment to change," Dennis said, and they got a cab outside of Tiffany's.

"What's that?" Casey asked, squeezing in next to Derek and seeing the bag sticking out of his pocket.

"Oh, nothing," he told her mischievously. She pouted, but he just shook his head and replied, "You'll see."

This got Casey wondering what in the world it could be. She guessed she'd have to wait until they were alone to find out.

The cab stopped outside of Dennis's building and the three of them went upstairs to get changed for dinner. Dennis told them to dress nicely; Casey had brought a little black dress for the occasion and Derek wore a borrowed dinner jacket from Dennis, as well as one of his ties.

He stood in the doorway watching her brushing her hair, and she caught him smiling to himself.

"What's up, handsome?" she asked.

Derek simply walked up behind her and opened his fist; the butterfly necklace fell out of his palm and he fastened it around her neck.

"Derek…" Casey breathed, awestruck.

"I found it in Tiffany's. You like it?" Derek didn't know why, but suddenly he was feeling kind of nervous.

"Oh, I _love_ it!" Casey squealed, putting his fears to rest. She brought her finger up to gently trace the outline of the butterfly, and said, "Thank you. But it must have been so expensive."

"Don't worry about that. It was on sale," Derek, waving his hand as if that was the last thing on his mind.

"Well, it's gorgeous."

"Just like you," Derek said, and they both wrinkled their noses at the cheesy line. Cheesy, yet effective, since Casey went over to him and pulled him into a tight hug, kissing him quickly.

They heard Dennis's door open and jumped away from each other. Derek left Casey to finish her hair and he joined Dennis in the living room, where they got in some quality time with the digital cable while waiting for Casey.


	13. Give In, Don't Fight

I know I told some people I wouldn't be posting again until Monday, but I couldn't help it- I'm on such a Dasey high again because Driving Lessons kicked butt. Banter! Bets! Eyesex! Ralph! Smarti/Smerekness! Player Derek! A Casey That Doesn't Make Me Want to Strangle Her! I haven't been this happy about an episode since Make No Promises. (I'd count Ivanwho, but that had Max. _Shudder_.)

I've never actually been to a fancy NYC restaurant, so I relied on Google to tell me about some of them. The one I picked just sounded good, so I did my best from what the website told me. (And the foods they talk about are actually on the menu. From that alone I have no desire to visit this place!)

Enjoy!

--Brandi

Disclaimer: Some people think the number 13 is unlucky, but I'm going to think positively. Maybe it'll be lucky for me and once I post this, the LwD fairies will grant me the rights to the show. I'll let you know if that happens!

**Chapter 13: Give In, Don't Fight, Good Girl, Good Night…**

Once everyone was ready to go, they hailed a cab for 52nd Street. Dennis was yet again letting dinner be a surprise; all Casey and Derek knew was that it was fancy.

They pulled up in front of 21, a converted speakeasy famous for its many celebrity guests and pricy meals.

The Bar Room, the restaurant on the first floor, came into view as they entered the building. The walls were adorned with cartoons, and the ceiling held various model airplanes. The atmosphere was prim and proper; Derek felt like he would break the spell if he so much as sneezed.

A hostess led them to their seats after confirming the reservation. "You're sitting at George Clooney's favorite table," she told them, and Casey and Derek exchanged excited glances.

"So I guess he's not here tonight, then?" Casey asked, just for the heck of it.

The hostess smiled. "No, not tonight. But Alec Baldwin's having dinner over on the other side of the room."

She left them to seat more incoming guests.

"Wow," Casey remarked. "Do you come here a lot, Dad?"

Dennis shrugged. "Three times a year, maybe. It's a good place to bring clients."

As they got their menus Derek looked his over warily. He had never had food this…swanky before. _Cedar Plank Roasted Arctic Char? Roasted Goose Breast and Leg Confit?_ He needed a dictionary.

Casey, meanwhile, was pouring over the menu like she did this every day. "How's the Ahi Tuna Tartare here?" she asked, actually pronouncing it correctly. Derek peered at the menu, trying to figure out what that was.

"It's very good," Dennis told Casey. "How about you, Derek? Need help?"

Derek was not about to admit he needed help. He stalled for a second by scanning the menu, and he finally came across something familiar.

"No, thanks, Dennis, I'm all set. I'm having the lamb chops."

Casey sighed. "Derek, look what comes with it. You hate eggplant. Why don't you have the Filet Mignon? That's like steak."

Derek shot her a grateful look. "Sure, that sounds good." He was sick of making an idiot of himself; these fancy places were so not his forte. At least he could say he'd eaten at George Clooney's table.

They had an enjoyable, if expensive, meal, and both thanked Dennis profusely. He laughed it off, though, and insisted he'd wanted to do something special for their last night in town.

"And now, for dessert!" he told them, and Casey and Derek clutched their stomachs.

"Dessert?" Casey cried. "I'm stuffed!"

"So you don't want to go to Serendipity 3 for the best cheesecake you'll ever taste?"

Derek was quick to reassure Dennis that dessert was in fact a good idea. Casey didn't know where he put it all.

They took a taxi uptown to Serendipity, and ate their fill of cheesecake. Then they headed home, full and content.

As they rode along Park Avenue, Casey shrieked, "Oh my God, that's that guy from Degrassi!"

"Who?" Derek asked, trying to catch a glimpse of the man stepping out of a nearby limo.

"The hot one!" Casey answered, as if that made it absolutely clear.

Derek and Dennis just shook their heads, and let her have her fan-girl moment.

Back at the apartment, Dennis went to bed early as always, and Casey and Derek stood in the middle of the Butterfly Room. Derek wasn't sure if he would be sleeping in there again, but Casey put his fears to rest by asking, "So, do you want to…sleep in my bed again?" she asked rather boldly, then turned bright red as soon as she said it.

It was a miracle Derek didn't faint dead away on the floor. He tugged at his tie and gulped, willing his brain to form words. All that came out was a sort of strangled "Erm."

"It's silly to use Lizzie's sheets for just one night," Casey said matter-of-factly. She shot a furtive glance at Derek to make sure he was on the same page. He just looked back at her with a smile. She couldn't believe they were even thinking about this. Four days ago she barely wanted to be in the same room with him because he "ruined" her trip. But tonight she wanted to be in his arms. _When did I go crazy?_ she thought.

"Although," Casey continued, a new thought occurring to her, "It's a shame to waste the clean sheets. What will Dad think when he realizes her bed hasn't been touched?"

Derek shrugged. "Stop thinking so hard, Case. We'll just take the sheets off both beds when we get up so Dennis won't know the difference."

"That's not right, though. Why wash clean sheets? Lizzie would have our heads for using up water and electricity for no reason."

"Casey, stop. Do you want to just tell your dad about us and not have to worry about the stupid sheets?"

"No," Casey said in a small voice, sensing Derek's patience wearing thin. They _were_ both tired, after all.

Derek opened his arms and Casey buried herself against him; he rubbed her back and said, "Case, you just have to relax. Let's get through one more night of secrecy, and we can tell our parents the second we get home tomorrow. Although," he grinned. "They'll probably ship you right back to live with Dennis."

Casey thumped his chest and pressed her face further into Derek's shirt, saying in a muffled voice, "That's not funny."

"You think we should keep it a secret for awhile?"

Casey looked up at him, and saw that he was serious. "Derek…we can't do that. It's not fair to anyone, least of all us. I want to show you off!"

Derek grinned. "Same here. But we have to be prepared for a bad reaction. My dad might really ship me off to live with my mom until we graduate. Or you'd be forced to move here."

Casey thought about this for a moment. He had a point. "We'll deal with it if it happens. I really think they won't do that, though, especially since we don't have that much longer at home."

"Okay, you're right. So what's the big deal if your Dad finds out?"

"It's just weird. I want this weekend to keep going so well. If he gets angry about it, then it'll ruin the rest of the time we have together."

"I'll give you that. Now can we go to sleep? I'm exhausted."

She pulled out of his grasp and gathered up her pajamas and toothbrush. "Fine. You get changed in here; I'll take the bathroom." And with that she left the room, leaving Derek to marvel over how truly amazing it was that she was his. He only hoped their family would agree.

When they were both ready for bed and snuggled together under the pastel-colored, butterfly-covered blanket, Casey's eyes flew open.

"Derek, my mom! We forgot to get her something!"

"Oh, yeah. She's the only one we have left to buy for, right?"

"Yes, and I forgot all about it. Maybe the airport will have something," Casey suggested.

"We have a few hours in the morning, too. We might find a souvenir from one of those street vendors."

"Okay," Casey agreed, reaching over to set the butterfly-shaped alarm clock.

"Anything else we forgot?" Derek asked sleepily, kissing her lightly on the temple.

"No, we're all set," Casey responded just as sleepily. "I can't believe this vacation's almost over…" she trailed off, too tired to say any more, and finally succumbing to sleep. Derek grunted to show he'd been listening, but soon drifted off as well.

They both had really, really good dreams that night.


	14. Your Troubles There, They're Out

Not much to say about this one, except that there are only a few chapters left. Enjoy!

--Brandi

Disclaimer: Lightbulb…Dennis and George are both lawyers. And I think I write them to be pretty good guys. So if I get in trouble for using Life with Derek without permission, I can just ask one of them to argue my case. Genius :)

**Chapter 14: Your Troubles There, They're Out of Style…**

Their flight wasn't until afternoon, but Dennis knocked on their door early the next morning.

Derek was the first to wake up and he almost yelled, "Come in!" but realized at the last second that that probably wasn't a good idea.

Casey was awake by this time and had the sense to call out, "Just a sec, Dad!" She turned to Derek, whispering, "Go!" and practically pushed him out of the bed.

Derek scrambled over to Lizzie's side of the room and threw himself under the covers, as Casey made her way over to the door to greet Dennis.

"Good morning, you two!" Dennis said in a chipper voice. "Sleep well?"

Derek nodded groggily from the bed and Casey stood in the doorway, also nodding. "What's going on, Dad?"

Dennis smiled. "Oh, I was just hoping you and I could have a nice father-daughter breakfast." He peered over at Derek. "No offense, Derek, I was just hoping to spend some quality time with Casey before you guys left. You go ahead and sleep in, and help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen."

"Sure thing, Dennis," he said, and rolled over, instantly out again.

When they were both ready to go, father and daughter headed down the street to the diner Casey and Derek had visited their first morning in the city. Dennis didn't say much on the way there, and Casey was still a little tired, so she didn't think much of it. But she started to get concerned when they had ordered their food and he _still _wasn't talking.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Casey asked.

Dennis looked at her and she could see the hesitancy in his eyes. "I'm not quite sure how to put this."

Casey patted his hand encouragingly. "Just talk to me. I miss being able to just talk."

Sighing, Dennis nodded. "I know. I'm so glad you came to visit me this weekend, Casey. I know I'm not around nearly as much as I should be, and I'm happy we got to spend some time together."

"Me, too," Casey said quietly.

"Maybe this is why it's so hard for me to say this. I feel like there is so much about your life I don't know, and this weekend I've seen a whole new side of you that I didn't know was even there."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Dennis trailed off. He took Casey's hand and paused a moment before saying quietly, "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Casey pulled her hand away quickly, taken aback. "What?" she practically yelled.

"Case, don't get upset."

"Upset? Who's upset? I'm not upset!" Casey tried to steady her voice. "Why do you think I'm in love with Derek?"

Dennis feigned surprise. "I didn't say a word about Derek. I just said 'him.' The fact that you knew exactly who I was talking about gives me my answer."

Casey was dangerously close to needing a paper bag. She tried her best to keep herself from hyperventilating, focusing on the marble tabletop, and tracing the pattern with her index finger. "How did you know?"

"I see the way you look at him. It's exactly how your mother used to look at me when we were together." Casey looked up at this, surprised. "And the way he looks at you is exactly the way I used to look at her."

Casey blushed. "I don't know if I'm in love, but I do have feelings for him."

"And do you know how he feels about you?" Dennis asked gently.

She nodded.

Trying to keep the smile off his lips, Dennis knew he wasn't going to get what he wanted unless he asked directly. "Are you two a couple?"

Casey sucked in a sharp breath. _How am I going to explain this?_ "I…think so. We're going to try it, anyway." That was the most honest answer she could give him. Once they got back home, who knew what would happen? She didn't want to put all her faith in him and end up getting hurt.

"I have no doubt you'll succeed," Dennis said fondly.

"Thanks, Dad," Casey told him, feeling as though a huge weight had been lifted from her chest. But his next words put it right back.

"How do your mother and George feel about this?"

"They don't exactly…know."

"Casey, you have to tell your mother," Dennis said sternly. "Don't wait until she comes to you with suspicions like I did."

"I know. We're going to. It's just that this is such a recent development."

Dennis was intrigued by this. "How recent we talking?"

Looking anywhere but at her father, Casey mumbled, "Friday night."

"Friday?!" Dennis spluttered, causing several nearby patrons to jump and look over at his outburst.

"Casey, you two got together _here_?"

"Yes."

"So that's why he stopped sleeping on the couch."

"Yes." She wasn't going to elaborate any further on that particular point.

"And I'll bet that's why you kept fighting. Who got cold feet? You or Derek?" Dennis smiled mischievously.

"Well, both of us, I guess. We had a lot to talk about."

"I'll bet."

"Dad, the stepsibling thing doesn't…bother you?"

Dennis could tell how uncertain Casey still was, and how much she needed his approval. "Sweetie, it's not ideal, let's put it that way. But you can't help who you love. You and Derek have only known each other for a couple of years, it's not like you grew up as brother and sister. I can't speak for your mom or George, but I think that after the initial shock they're going to be able to deal with it. If you need me to call and talk to her, I will."

Casey moved over to her dad's side of the booth and hugged him tightly. She began crying softly into his shoulder and said quietly, "Thanks, Dad. This is just not what I expected to happen in my life, you know?"

"It doesn't fit with your perfect plan, huh?" Dennis replied with a chuckled. "Let me tell you something, sometimes you can plan until you're blue in the face, but you can't let that stop you from taking risks that might turn you to another, better plan. When I married your mother I expected to be with her forever, but life doesn't work that way. I think Derek will be good for you. He'll make you more flexible, and on the flip side you'll motivate him enough to maybe pull his grades up."

Casey laughed at that, and wiped her eyes. "Hey, when exactly did you know? You said you were suspicious, but what made you sure?"

Dennis winked at her. "I found the Tiffany's bag in the kitchen trash this morning. I knew you didn't buy that butterfly necklace you wore last night for yourself."

Casey grinned. "I never dreamed he could be so romantic. Usually he was just a pain in the neck. I can't believe it took me this long to sort out my feelings."

Dennis patted her shoulder. "Just remember, girls mature faster than boys. He probably wasn't ready to admit his own for a long time either. You two finally just got in synch."

They finished their breakfast in much lighter moods. Casey told Dennis that they still needed a gift for Nora, and he suggested a souvenir shop a couple of blocks up from the apartment.

Casey felt so relieved that her father was on their side. She hoped they wouldn't need him to call and talk to her mom and George, but the option was there if they needed it.

Although she'd had to share her father with Derek all weekend, she didn't really mind, after all the fuss she'd made originally. All in all, she was extremely happy with the way the trip had turned out.


	15. These Little Town Blues Are Melting Away

So Dennis is a cool guy, apparently. Glad you all liked his reaction to their relationship. This is the last New York chapter! I think there will only be two more after this.

--Brandi

Disclaimer: I've been wishin', and hopin', and thinkin', and prayin', but alas, LwD or anything else I mention that is already owned is not mine.

**Chapter 15: These Little Town Blues Are Melting Away…**

Dennis and Casey reentered the apartment to find Derek stuffing himself with an ice cream sundae.

"Der-ek!" Casey cried in disgust. Chocolate syrup was dripping down his chin, and he wiped his mouth quickly.

"You said I could have anything in the kitchen, sir," Derek said politely. Dennis just laughed and went to put a hand on Derek's shoulder.

"You're right, I did. Casey and I had a nice little chat at breakfast. She can tell you all about it in a minute. Meanwhile, you two better get going if you want to find a gift for Nora. That shop on Madison should have plenty to choose from."

Derek nodded, starting to get up, but Dennis used the hand that was still on Derek's shoulder to push him back down. Derek tensed, looking at Dennis's stern face curiously. "Oh, and Derek. If you break my little girl's heart, I will break _you_. They'll never find your body." He winked at Casey when he saw Derek's horrified face, and left the kitchen, whistling.

Naturally, Casey explained what had happened as they meandered along Madison Avenue. Derek was extremely embarrassed, but he did a good job of not letting Casey see that. He had a feeling that if Dennis had figured it out, it was safe to assume his dad would figure it out pretty quickly too. That settled it. They had to tell their parents that night.

They reached the souvenir shop and went inside. Casey found something for Nora in less than five minutes: a potholder set with the Empire State Building on the front.

Derek looked uncertain. "Potholders, really?"

Casey shrugged. "Sure, George burned most of ours, and I don't think we really want to get her something that screams 'New York.' She and my dad get along now, but it's not like she's going to wear an 'I Heart NY' necklace or something."

"Good point. Okay, let's go."

They paid and were heading away from the shop when they heard a "Derek?!" from behind them.

He whirled around at the sound of his name and came face to face with Annie.

"Annie?" He didn't quite know what to say.

She glared at Casey, and gestured to their hands, which they had joined as soon as they got to the street.

"This is your 'someone else,' Derek? Your _stepsister_?" she asked incredulously. She shot Casey another mean look.

Casey tensed, trying to think of something to say back to her, but Derek was quicker.

"It just so happens that this is the most amazing girl you will ever meet. I can't believe I thought about going out with you. Because unlike you, Casey has class." He said the last part more harshly than he had intended, but it had the desired effect.

She backed away, as if she didn't know what to say in response and just needed to get out of there. "Hope you two are very happy together," she replied halfheartedly.

"Thank you!" Casey returned sweetly, having finally found her voice. Annie glared at her one more time and spun around, stomping away from them.

Casey smiled at Derek. "You called me amazing."

"Well, you are," he smiled back.

"What did she mean about 'someone else?'?" Casey asked.

"Oh, when she texted me the other day, I just told her I liked someone else and left it at that. I was surprised she gave up so easily, actually."

"I guess she's not so bad, then. At least she had the decency to back off."

"Yeah. But she didn't have to be so rude to you."

Casey shrugged it off. "I don't really care what she thinks. Or anyone else for that matter," she said, trying to convince herself as much as Derek.

"Case, you know she's not the last person who's going to get upset about us. Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Yes," Casey said firmly, looking directly at Derek. "I'm not going to let what other people think affect how I feel about you."

"Good. Same goes for me," he told her, kissing her quickly. "Let's head back."

They walked the short distance to the apartment, and began packing as soon as they got in. They only had a little while before their flight, and they had to make all of their souvenirs fit into the suitcases somehow.

Dennis fixed them sandwiches to eat before they left, and once their bags were packed he said he had one more surprise.

Derek was overjoyed when it turned out Dennis had decided to take them to the airport in his convertible.

Sitting in the backseat with Casey leaning against him, the wind whipping their hair around and the city skyline in clear view, Derek thought this was probably one of the best moments of his life.

Saying goodbye at the airport turned out to be pretty emotional, and Dennis made them promise to come back again in the summer.

"Thank you for everything, Dennis," Derek told him as they shook hands.

"It was my pleasure. Remember what I said, take care of my girl," he said with a wink. Derek paled, but just nodded politely.

Casey hugged her father and whispered, "I love you, Dad."

He hugged her back tightly. "I love you too, Case. I promise to keep in touch."

She nodded, trying not to cry, and followed Derek to the check-in counter.

On the plane they had separate seats just like last time, but Derek asked the woman next to Casey if she would mind switching, so they got to sit together. They spent their time alone just talking and laughing, and they didn't argue once.

Their whole family was waiting for them as they headed out of the airport.

Edwin spotted them first, and started to call out, but something stopped him mid-yell. "Are they…holding hands?" he asked incredulously.

Everyone peered through the crowd and realized that they were indeed holding hands, and grinning like crazy. Nora gasped in bewilderment and looked at George, whose mouth was opening and closing rapidly. Edwin and Lizzie exchanged a knowing smile, and Marti just looked happy that her Smerek was back.

Casey threw herself at her mother as soon as they approached, and hugged her tightly. Derek picked up Marti and swung her around; she giggled. They all started talking at once. After everyone was hugged, kissed, and the noise died down, George cleared his throat.

"So, what's going on here?"

"What do you mean?" Casey asked innocently, well aware that Derek's arm was slung over her shoulder protectively.

Nora looked pointedly at her daughter, but didn't say anything.

Casey sighed, and looked at Derek with an encouraging smile.

He turned to the family and said, "Well, we have something to tell all of you…"


	16. If I Can Make It There, I'll Make It

Next to last chapter! It's not very long, and kind of cheesy, but really it's just to tie up some loose ends and show their lives at home a little before the 'epilogue.'

I just have to comment on Cheerleader Casey. Anyone who doesn't ship Dasey by this episode is either really dense or really in denial. Just sayin'.

--Brandi

Disclaimer: Now that they're back in London it means nothing to disclaim any New York stuff, so what the heck: I own the Empire State Building, Central Park, Rent, the Hayden Sphere, Tiffany's, and FAO Schwarz. So there. Oh, but of course I don't own Life with Derek.

**Chapter 16: If I Can Make It There, I'll Make It Anywhere…**

"Okay, Dad. I'll tell Derek to behave. Love you. Bye," Casey said, hanging up the phone. Derek, on whose lap she was sitting, rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe he's still threatening bodily harm."

"Just be happy he likes you as much as he does," she reminded him, pressing a kiss to his temple, which quickly turned into an actual kiss.

The new situation in the McDonald-Venturi house had been an adjustment for everyone, but with a few ground rules and lots and lots of family meetings, things had returned to (relative) normalcy.

After the revelation that Derek and Casey were together had been dropped on their family in the airport, Nora had felt so lightheaded she'd had to put her head between her knees as George fanned her with a magazine. He was speechless until Nora calmed down enough to breath again, but then proceeded to unleash a long rambling speech, right there at the airport, about teenage hormones and irresponsibility.

Lizzie and Edwin had taken it upon themselves to gather up the luggage, and did so while whispering feverishly back and forth. Marti, to the great relief of Derek and Casey, tugged at George's sleeve after a minute or so. "Daddy?" she'd said. "Derek and Casey look really good together, don't they?"

George immediately stopped ranting and looked, really looked, at his children. They were standing close together, arms around each other, looking extremely upset at George's reaction. He sighed, realizing that Marti was right. Nora put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and nodded at her husband, signaling her agreement.

Once they returned home, Casey and Derek were forced to recount their entire trip, leaving out a few choice details such as sleeping arrangements and slutty nannies; this seemed to help soften the blow. As did the presents they brought back for everyone.

Nora and George had taken a while to adjust, but luckily Dennis hadn't needed to plead his daughter's case, and both parents were eventually happy that their children were happy. Their friends had reacted surprisingly well, too.

"Stop ravishing each other, children are present," Marti commanded as she entered the living room, after Casey hung up the phone. This earned another eye-roll from Derek, but he smiled.

"Smarti, how do you even know what that means?" Derek asked, stifling his laughter. Casey wasn't so successful, and had to turn her giggle into a cough.

Marti shrugged. "I walked in on Lizzie and Jamie yesterday and she said that's what they were doing."

"What?!" Both Derek and Casey flew up out of the chair and stared at her.

"What exactly were they doing when you walked in, Smarti?" Derek asked.

"Kissing," Marti told him with a grin.

No one had noticed Lizzie and Edwin enter the room, but Edwin gave them away with his own "What?!"

Derek glared at Lizzie with brotherly concern, and Edwin looked horrified.

"I was just kidding about the 'ravishing' stuff, guys. They said that on one of Mom's soaps and I thought it was funny." Lizzie explained with a giggle.

Casey was the only one who smiled; Edwin and Derek looked murderous, and Marti had skipped off to the kitchen.

"Come on, Liz, let's go upstairs and talk," Casey suggested, taking her sister's hand and heading towards the stairs. "Tell me everything. Who kissed whom? Was that your first kiss? Oooh, this is so exciting!" Casey babbled as they went up the steps, and Derek and Edwin tuned them out.

"So which of us is going to go kick Jamie's ass?" Derek asked Edwin.

Before he could answer Casey called from upstairs, "You better not be thinking about doing something to Jamie, Derek!"

"She knows me too well," Derek groaned. Edwin just shrugged, looking like he didn't know what to do. He followed Marti into the kitchen, and Derek shook his head, trying to clear away thoughts of his little sister with that whiny soccer player.

Derek had been enjoying the afternoon watching mindless television with Casey, but he had a feeling she and Lizzie wouldn't be back for quite awhile now. It had taken him a few days to get used to the fact that he had to share Casey with more people than just Dennis.

He wandered over to George's desk and picked up the Magic 8 Ball.

"Am I the luckiest guy in the world?" he asked, getting all mushy thinking about what an amazing time he was having with Casey. Things really couldn't be better in their relationship, and he had enjoyed every day they'd spent together so far. The trip to New York had done wonders.

And to confirm his thoughts, the ball answered with a resounding "Without a Doubt."


	17. Amen for NYC

Well, this is it folks. For this story, anyway.

I took a lot of suggestions from reviews, which I hadn't expected to get, actually, but since I did, I figured I'd use them—they only improved the story! I'm sure you recognized which bits are from your ideas. So thank you so much for that.

Kudos to anyone who can tell me the three songs I used as my chapter titles.

And THANKS FOR READING!

--Brandi

Disclaimer: So all that wishing on alligators and stars and other stuff for sixteen chapters didn't work. Guess I'll have to try harder next time. But for now, nothing is mine.

**Chapter 17: Amen for N-Y-C…**

FIVE YEARS LATER:

"Case, if you don't hurry up we'll miss our dinner reservations!" Derek called, willing his girlfriend to get a move on. She was currently holed up in the bathroom, trying to freshen up from a long day of tourism. They were staying at the Palace, a ridiculously opulent yet incredibly romantic hotel on the Upper East Side.

This trip to New York had been an impromptu one; Dennis had suggested they stay with him for the weekend when he had been up for their college graduation the week before. When they got to his apartment, he surprised them with the key to a room at the Palace Hotel.

After a whirlwind day with Dennis at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, lunch at Sardi's, and a trip to the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, Casey and Derek were venturing into Little Italy for a romantic dinner. They had been coming to New York together once a year since that fateful first trip, and each time they had had wonderful adventures. But Derek was determined to make this trip, and this night, special.

He slipped the ring box into his pocket; his plan was to tie it to her glass of wine with a white ribbon. He knew she would be surprised; they had discussed marriage, sure, but not in any serious way that would make her think he'd wanted to propose for almost two months now.

"Case!" he called again, and this time she emerged, looking stunning. But Derek wouldn't have expected anything less. "Mon Amour," he greeted, offering his arm and wiggling his eyebrows.

She giggled. "We're going to Little Italy, not Little France!" But she took his arm anyway.

"Oh, right, uh, 'Mi amor'?" he asked sheepishly.

"Close enough," she grinned, and they hailed a cab for Mulberry Street.

The restaurant they had picked was Casa Bella Ristorante, a quaint yet fancy place, whose menu looked pronounceable. Derek had had the foresight to look up their menu online, which had pictures of the dishes, so he wouldn't be making a fool of himself tonight.

Derek was about to go over to the waiter, to order the wine and discuss his special request, when a commotion on the other side of the room startled him. He and Casey looked over, and saw a man on bended knee holding out a ring to his sobbing girlfriend. She hugged him tightly, and Casey's eyes welled up.

"Oh, Derek, isn't that so romantic?" she cried, wiping her eyes with her napkin.

"Perfect," Derek grunted, and luckily she didn't catch the sarcasm in his voice. How could he propose now? He'd look like an idiot. So the ring stayed in his pocket.

They enjoyed their meal, and Derek tried to push all thoughts of his failed proposal out of his head. But it wasn't that easy, especially since Casey was busy speculating about the newly engaged couple's wedding.

As they left the restaurant, Derek had a bolt of inspiration. A nice romantic carriage ride through Central Park ought to do it. He grabbed Casey's hand and led her in the direction of a cab, whistling it down as he went.

"What are you doing?" Casey asked, wondering why he was dragging her along the street. "What's the hurry?"

"We have to get to Central Park before it gets dark," he said breathlessly, almost pushing her into the cab.

Casey knew better than to question Derek when he was that determined, and she figured he must have something up his sleeve.

They finally made it to the park and Derek pulled the nearest driver aside. He hurriedly explained what he wanted to do and the driver nodded in understanding.

He walked over to Casey and bowed, leading her to the carriage.

Casey began smiling as soon as she sat down, and Derek could tell this had been a good idea.

"Ooh, Derek, this is so sweet. We haven't been in one of these in so long!"

"I know. I figured you'd like it."

"I do," she smiled, kissing him lightly.

Those two words sent shivers down Derek's spine, and he subconsciously placed his hand over the box.

Curled up together listening to the clip-clop of the horse's hooves, Derek figured it was now or never. He slowly pulled the ring out of his pocket, but before it came into view, Casey let out a shriek.

"Ew, oh, ew!" she wailed, bringing her hand up to her hair and pulling it away covered in bird excrement.

Derek groaned, and put the ring back. So much for Plan B.

The driver stopped and turned to see what had happened. "Oh, sorry miss," he apologized. "But it's good luck, supposedly."

Derek snorted. "Yeah, some luck." He dug a tissue out of Casey's purse and began wiping her hair, as she shuddered in disgust.

When Derek had cleaned her up as best he could, she grabbed his arm and pointed some distance away from the carriage. "Look, Der, a vendor. Let's see if he has a bottle of water."

Derek sighed. "You're done the carriage ride, aren't you?"

"Yes," she said apologetically. "I just won't be able to enjoy it now."

He called to the driver that they were going to get out, and paid him for the twenty minutes they had been riding. Then he and Casey headed to the vendor, who gave them a bottle of water and some napkins.

Casey leaned against a nearby wall with a sigh. "Well, we could just walk around for a bit," she suggested.

Derek was about to agree, but then he realized where they were. The wall she was leaning against was the entrance to the Zoo, underneath the Delacorte Clock. He couldn't believe it. This was the very spot she had caught him with Annie all those years ago, although that had been on the other side of the wall.

He realized then that it really was now or never.

Derek got down on one knee in front of Casey, and she eyed him apprehensively. "What are you doing?"

"Plan C," he told her, and grinned, taking the ring box out of his pocket. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw it, and he stared directly into her clearly shocked eyes.

"Casey, the first time we came here we were fighting on and off. That was kind of what we did best back then. That day when I deserted you for some random girl, and you got insanely jealous—" he paused to gauge her reaction; she was smirking, having recognized where they were. "I realized how much I cared about you, and that I wanted you to be the only girl in my life—"

"Besides Marti," they said in unison, and she giggled, though he could see she was on the verge of tears.

"Don't cry now, please, let me finish. I love you, Casey, and I know I'm going to be with you forever anyway, why not have a license and a big party to prove it?" He winked.

She sniffled, but held back her tears. He took a deep breath.

"Will you marry me?"

"Duh," she said with a laugh, pulling him off of his knee and into a hug.

"Really?"

"No, I just said that for kicks. Yes, really. I love you, too, Derek."

He wrapped his arms around her again, but pulled back after a second to slip the ring onto her finger.

She admired it in the twilight, and she looked so happy, Derek couldn't help but kiss her.

There might be no place like home, but for Casey and Derek, there was no place like New York City.


End file.
